A Breach of Black Glass
by Split Infinitive
Summary: What if you weren't sure what side you should be on? Link has to choose - Close the breach between worlds, or let it all end. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

A halo of moonlight encircled the clearing where the small group of men waited. Captain Rusl of the Hylian Royal Guard stood facing them, hands clasped behind his back.

"For some of you, this will be nothing new." Wisps of steam drifted from the captain's lips. "For others – well, welcome to the party."

His eyes fell on the youngest of the group, and the young man called Link felt a surge of pride in response.

"So," Rusl went on. "For the benefit of our virgin soldier here" – a soft chuckle rippled around the circle of men – "Let's go over the rules, shall we?"

Rusl winked. Link responded with a short nod as he held onto his composure. He wasn't going to show any sentiment. No way. They'd rib him for weeks.

The captain lifted his chin. "We serve Princess Zelda and in her name, we don't maim, we don't mutilate, we don't torture." He paused, then, "And we never, ever take any pleasure in the fight." An owl's soft hoot rang in the distant air. "All blood is sacred."

Link set his mouth into a grim line as he nodded along with the captain. His skin prickled with anticipation. Fifteen years of training, fifteen years of being fed enhanced herbs and downing thick, scarlet potions, all to make him ready for this, his first mission.

The captain sniffed. "We're here tonight to capture the Man in the Golden Mask. That's what the egotist calls himself." He paused. "Capture, not kill. His banditry ends today. North of here is the Old Forest Trail. That's where he'll be. Only because no-one else uses that path anymore." He looked around at each man – four in total including Link– in turn. "I'll be waiting here. _Go._ "

Two of the group – Ben and Jak - dived straight into the forest, twigs and leaves damp with dew crunching under their boots. Link waited a moment, waiting for one last acknowledgement from the captain. He felt a pull at his shoulder. Link looked up.

Garett, the senior soldier amongst them, smiled down at him. "Enough with the hero-worship, kid. Gotta job to do."

Link nodded and followed the older man into the forest. They pushed past shivering leaves – they echoed the shiver in Link's own heart – and stiff branches that mimicked his taut muscles. His breath pumped in a steady rhythm.

Garett flicked a glance over at Link. "How you feeling, lad?"

"Just grand."

"Keep up, then." Garett grinned as ducked a low-hanging branch. "Wanna make this quick. I've got a hankering for some wine and women. Both. At the same time."

Link smiled. He'd only known his new teammates a few weeks, but he'd gotten used to their ways pretty quick. Tonight he was going to play along with the banter. It was probably for his benefit anyway. To deflate the tension or something.

"Wine's on me." Garett's grin widened. "The women are on you."

Link grinned back. "I can't afford your tastes, Garett."

"Oh-hooo, did you hear that, lads? Puppy's getting a bit of a bite." He looked back over at Link. "I'm not picky, you know. I'll settle for any lass. Who was that wench in Jessie's?" He frowned. "Windy?"

Another soldier chimed in. "Wendy."

"Yeah. Yeah, _you_ remember, Ben. Wasn't much to look at, right? But plenty of handholds, if you get my meaning." He drew in a deep breath. "Picture the scene, kid."

"I'm trying not to," Link replied.

"Me. Wendy. Tall bottle." Garret paused, musing. "Maybe even a cucco or two to spice things up." He thought on it some more. " _With_ the bottle."

"Can't unsee it now."

Garett's laugh was cut off as Jak held up a sudden hand. The company came to a halt, crouching on the tip of a grassy rise. Down below a lone horse trotted along the worn path, and the man riding atop swayed from side-to-side, his golden mask plain bar for the twin horizontal slits for his eyes and the two vertical lines that allowed him to breathe.

Trailing the Man in the Golden Mask was a gaggle of youths, heads bowed, bare feet shuffling in the dirt.

Unease creased Link's brow. "What…?"

"It's his protection," Garett whispered. He flicked his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Thinks we won't attack when they're with him."

"Well, he's right," Link replied. "We have to a-"

Garett threw Link an incredulous look to cut him straight off. The older man turned to the rest of the company. "Boys, take them out."

Link's heart lurched. "Wait. This isn't…"

Garett's head snapped towards him, his eyes drained of all comradery. "I'll tell you what _is_ and what _isn't_." Link felt the older man's hot breath as he leaned in. "This is war. This is what we do."

Link jerked as though he'd been slapped. He wasn't going to back down, though. "The captain –"

"Approves, believe you me." Garett's cheek twitched. "But he doesn't have to know about this, if you get my meaning." He nodded toward the path below. "Each day that bandit stays free means more _innocent_ people stay unsafe."

"Princess Zel-"

"Oh, _please._ "

Link felt numb. The world swam in front of him. His fellow soldiers seemed to be moving through tar in his eyes. They drew their bows and nocked their arrows in slow, measured deliberation. Worse was the quiet satisfaction he saw on each man's face.

Link sprung to his feet. "No. This –"

Garett growled and gave him a hard shove. "It's a sham. The kids are probably in on it."

Link shoved back. Garett hit him with a punch, sending Link tumbling down the rise, sharp branches and jagged rock scraping his clothes. Now time flew. He heard Garett curse, heard the whispery flight of arrows loosed.

Link scrambled back to his feet –

And found the Man in the Golden Mask bearing down on him, his sword - broad and immense - swinging from side-to-side; each drunken, wayward arc hacking out chunks from the trees standing parallel on the narrow pathway. Moonlight bled into his mask.

 _No time to think._

Link planted his boots in the soft soil and drew his blade. Two-handed, he raised his sword just as the masked man fell upon him. Steel cracked and Link was swatted aside with ease. A bolt of pain shot through both his wrists and up his arms. He tumbled awkwardly to the floor.

Link's back prickled. He threw himself to one side, narrowly missing the tip of his opponent's sword as it ploughed into the ground. Link stood, gasping, the nerves in his arms trembling. Screams rang out in the air, mixed with gleeful battle cries. Link felt sick.

 _No time at all._

The masked man, weapon now free, adjusted his footing and lunged in with another wild swing. Link ducked, and the blade splintered into a tree, coming to a sudden halt. Instinct made Link move – his two-handed grip on his own weapon flying upward.

His opponent was quick. The masked man pulled his blade free, silver moonlight flashing off of the steel, and both swords came to a jolting halt in mid-air. Link felt the shock of the impact ripple up his arms again, and set his teeth against it. The shimmer of metal echoed through the dark forest.

Panicked thoughts beat against Link's mind. _What's going on here? Where's the captain? And why is no-one helping me?_

Steam hissed out from under the other man's mask. The twin blades trembled under the pressure of both men pushing against them. Link forced his aching shoulders to push on, felt the bite of his sword's hilt through his gloves.

It wasn't enough.

Link felt his knees begin to buckle as the masked man towered over him, pushing the locked blades downwards. Link swallowed. His throat was dry and raw. He glanced up, defiant. The masked man hesitated.

 _Now._

Link twisted out from under his opponent, his sword sliding free, then used the momentum to spin around and –

A fist cracked into Link's jaw. The world exploded into darkness.

Down, down, down…

Link saw the universe shrink and shrink and shrink; a ball hanging in a black void, then a dot, then saw it vanish. Time and space melted away. He felt himself snuffed out like a candle.

There were no words. No voices. Concepts formed in his innermost core.

 _Din._

 _Farore._

 _Nayru._

Link (who?) didn't understand. What was going on?

 _We are they. We are not they. We are none. We are one. We are all there is._

 _I am one._

Link (who?) tried to push with his thoughts. _Who are you?_

The entity replied. _This sensory world is but the first step on a ladder of being. Your path is askew._

Down, down, down…

Drowning…

 _Close the Breach of Black Glass._

Link sucked in a long, cold breath as his senses came rushing back to him. Fractured colours congealed into familiar shapes and images. Dampness seeped into his clothes. He found himself lying in a ditch.

Link's ears pricked to the sound of voices floating toward him. "What happened to the lad?"

"Idiot. He was an idiot." Garret's voice. "Why'd he spin for? Doesn't he know you never turn your back on an enemy? What do they teach the young 'uns in the Academy now?"

Link forced himself into a state of unnatural stillness. Did they even know he was here?

His finger twitched, touching cold steel. His sword.

"It don't matter how big you are, how quick," Garret was saying, oblivious. "It just matters how you channel your strength."

The first soldier spoke again – Ben, Link realised - an annoyed tinge to his voice. "You don't have to lecture me. What do we tell the captain?"

"Boy's dead," Garret replied. "Did you see that bandit punch? _That's_ channelling your strength."

"A kill with one hit?"

"Scum must have a stash of Red P somewhere."

 _Don't check on me. Do not check._

"I guess I owe you a gold coin then," Ben replied.

"Damn right, lad. Told ya Link wouldn't be able to run with us."

"We leaving the body?"

"We leaving _all_ the bodies," Garret growled. "The masked man held the kids hostage then killed him. Took out Link, too. That's our story."

Doubt nudged Ben's voice. "They've got arrows in them."

"No-one's going to check. Nobody. The forest animals will be done with 'em by dawn." There was a pause, as though Garett was daring Ben to challenge him, then, "Chain the bandit up and let's go."

Link heard the clink of metal, mixed with snarled protests and raised voices. He slipped in and out of consciousness as he waited for the footsteps to fade away. The hoot of an owl jerked him awake.

The young Hylian pulled himself upright. He began to stomp around in circles as he tried to work the feeling back into his limbs. His jaw ached, and his tongue probed a loose tooth.

"Outstanding," he muttered. "Just plain grand."

Link climbed out the ditch and back onto the trail – and stopped as his boot struck something hard. He looked down, and saw the bandit's mask. Some of the gold paint had been stripped away revealing the natural silver beneath. Not exactly knowing why, Link reached down to pick up the mask and tucked it into his belt.

What had just happened? Everything had changed in a flash. One minute he was part of a noble brotherhood serving Hyrule's young sovereign, the Princess Zelda, and the next…the next…

The arrows. The screams. Link heaved.

 _Why? We could've taken out the bandit without harming anyone. Why?!_

The weight of what had just happened forced Link to his knees. His breath hissed through pursed lips. Link had been three years old when he'd been plucked from a family he could barely remember to train and serve with the Royal Guard. The fifteen years that followed were under Captain Rusl's careful tutelage, under his lessons of virtues and values, the way a Hylian should be, the way Princess Zelda – herself but a little girl when she'd ascended to the throne of Hyrule – expected them to be.

The captain had lived the ideal, to such a degree that an awestruck Link always found himself wanting in stark comparison. Stories had filled the Academy, stories of Rusl rescuing orphans, defending the princess, giving a quarter of his wage to the poor. Link, on the other hand, had nothing but misspent nights and misspent coin in Kakariko's brothels, the dawn bringing with it self-loathing and disgust.

The young Hylian took in a deep breath, then stood, picking his sword up as he did so. Sheathing the weapon, he turned in the direction of Kakariko, the direction of home. He needed answers.

Link sensed the carnage behind him. He didn't want to look, didn't want to see the bodies. He began to move off, but something held him back.

 _I can't leave them unburied._

But then if anyone checked, they would know that someone had been here. Worse, his former friends would know he was still alive. If they ever came back, that was. He remembered Garett's cold words: _No-one's going to check._

Link closed his eyes for a long moment. He sighed. His sword would work as a makeshift spade. It would take most of the night, though, and the graves would be shallow. He hoped the captain was telling the truth about no-one using this road anymore.

 _Or…_ he could leave things as they were, go back to Kakariko and bring some help, some witnesses. People would see the massacre, would recognise the arrows. Justice could bloom. Who could he trust, though?

 _Ilia. I can trust Ilia._

Bracing himself, he turned around – and an empty trail stared back at him. Link blinked. The bodies were gone. His eyes scanned the whole area. No blood, not even a stray arrow.

Had Garret changed his mind? But, then, why hadn't he checked on Link himself?

Link's head began to hurt. Nothing more he could do now except head back to Kakariko. Ilia would be there. He'd talk to her.

They'd left their horses back near the forest's edge. Link didn't dare want to go back for his. It was going to be a long walk. Link sighed. "Out _stand_ ing."

As he began his trek, Link's mind flitted back to the fight with the bandit. He shouldn't have lost so quickly, so easily. The herbs and potions the Royal Academy students lived on were supposed to enhance a man's strength and skill. That, and all the training they'd had to endure.

What exactly had happened after?

Drowning…

A dull, nourishing glow settled over the core of his heart, the last traces of his strange experience fading like embers on a dying fire.

 _Close the Breach of Black Glass._

The world shifted in and out of focus. Everything seemed different somehow. Changed.

 _This sensory world is but the first step on a ladder of being._

Link felt a sudden leap in his heart. The words rang of truth. Some instinct deep within him was sure of it.

Certain.

If only he had the slightest clue as to what it meant.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Morning sunlight fell through the windows of Kakariko's one and only library. Link stood gazing up at a portrait of Princess Zelda. The image gazed back, kindly eyes in a haughty face.

A full-length cloak, hooded and grey, hid Link from prying eyes. He'd picked it up from his little hut; that, a bit of bread and some coin. He hadn't wanted to linger there – not that he ever did at the best of times. The barracks on the edge of town was where he spent most of his days.

Waiting for the library to open, Link had found himself crouched in a damp, narrow alleyway, scraping the gold paint off of the bandit's mask with the edge of his sword. The action had been comforting, had allowed him to clear his tangled thoughts. It hadn't been so good for his weapon, though - and so he'd spent the rest of his time sharpening his blade with a file. He was done when he felt the warmth of the sun kiss his face.

Now Link looked up at the princess's picture once more. _Does she know?_ he wondered. _About her soldiers, does she know? Does the captain know?_

From the corner of one eye he spied the distant Royal Castle through one of the library's windows. Perched on a hillside it towered over the settlement of Castleton which sat directly beneath. Kakariko itself lay a little further on, planted in level ground here in Hyrule Field.

Clouds drifted lazily above the castle's ivory towers. It was almost peaceful.

 _Deceptively._

He was being hasty, he knew. Garett, Ben and Jak could just be exceptions. Link wondered if Captain Rusl had gone back to search for his body. But even as the thought came, some intuition told him to hold back. Maybe it was the same … _thing…_ he'd encountered in the no-space after being knocked out by the bandit. Maybe it was warning him.

Maybe not. All he knew was that he needed to stay away from his former comrades – and that he needed answers.

 _Speaking of which…_

Link turned away and headed toward a circular, oaken desk set in the centre of the library's lower floor. The library itself was pretty much deserted; it was still early morning and books weren't exactly the number one pastime of Kakariko folk anyway. The sound of chairs scraping mixed with the rustle of parchment. Overhead, an owl had somehow got into the building and the poor bird was fluttering around in a panic. Few people, one bird - the staff, though, were here as always.

One member of staff in particular. A girl. Leaning against the oak desk, she was absorbed in conversation with a heavily-built young man.

A smile tugged at the corner of Link's lips. The sight of Ilia's smiling face soothed his heart.

 _Only because you want to get her in-_

Link crushed the rebellious thought in an instant, leaving a wave of revulsion in its wake. Captain Rusl had taught him chivalry, about to act and _think_ around the fairer sex.

Link had had trouble with that particular lesson from the captain.

Ilia ran a hand through her short, chestnut-blonde hair. Her conversation didn't seem to be going too well. As Link got closer to the desk, he caught snippets of the exchange.

"Right," Ilia was saying as she chewed on the end of a quill. "Um, your enthusiasm is, uh, a credit. Soooo...Any, um, schooling?"

The young man was looking for employment then. Link gave him a quick once-over and sized him up:

 _Arm in a sling. Missing fingers. Yes - Another dropout from the Great Game._

The Great Game. A one-on-one fight in front of a paying audience. Loser gives the winner a gold coin. All Princess Zelda's idea - so that the illiterate and the peasants could contribute positively to Hyrule's economy. Link hadn't really thought about it in any depth before - he'd been too busy with his training - but now the whole concept struck him with its profound... _wrongness._

The former gamer stood tall, back stiff. "School of hard knocks, ma'am."

Ilia blinked, then smiled sweetly. "I'll be in touch."

As the man slumped off in disappointment, Link approached and placed his gloved palms on the desk. "Ilia."

The girl looked up, an easy smile brightening her face in an instant. "Link!"

He looked away for a moment, alarmed, then whispered, "Sshhh."

Ilia leaned in. "Okay, I'm shushing," she said. "Here's me all shushed." A murmur of background conversation washed over them. "Why are we shushing?"

"No one needs to know I'm here."

Her eyes peered into his hood, then frowned "Is that why you're dressed like a monk?"

Link held her gaze. "A Breach of Black Glass."

Ilia arched an eyebrow. "I'm fine, thanks for asking. And you?"

"A Breach of Black Glass, Ilia," Link replied in a hushed voice. "Do you know what it is?"

She shook her head. Her wide eyes regarded him with concern. "What's happening, Link? Why don't you want anyone to know you're here?"

"You sure you've not heard of it?" Link pressed on. "You know everything."

"I do not."

"A Breach of Black Glass. Din. Nayru. Farore." Agitation chafed him. "Or _something_ that uses all those names. Anything?"

"I honestly don't know, Link," Ilia replied with a shrug. "Did you hit your head? Why's your jaw bruised?"

Link changed tack. Something he knew his friend was deeply attached to. "What about those old history books?"

As he expected, Ilia's face brightened. "Is it a quest?"

"It's not a quest."

Elbows planted on the desk, Ilia rested her chin on her palms. "It _sounds_ like a quest."

"It's not a quest, Ilia."

"The old texts" she replied. "I mean the _really_ old ones. Ancient."

"The ones only your library has, right?"

"Right!" she said, lifting her chin as her hands balled into fists in excitement. "They're the ones that talk about quests."

Link had heard this many times before, and had feigned interest every single time. This time he listened. Maybe there was something there he'd missed. A clue.

Ilia took in a breath. "Century after century. Over and over."

 _Something's wrong._

The thought pierced his mind like a flash of sudden lightning. As Ilia spoke, Link slowly turned his head to the left. The library was filling up now. A few townsfolk browsed the shelves, other peered into open books. A man with a crossbow hanging from his belt looked bored. Probably waiting for his lady love. His weapon, Link noted in idle curiosity, was one of those new fancy self-loading bows, with the bolts stored in a thin chamber set atop the tiller. Another man, dressed all in black –

"A hero, Link," Ilia went on. "A hero at the head of every century – with _your_ name."

Link turned to the right. Aside from the busy library staff tidying the shelves, there was only one person perusing the books there. A man, clad in black, in the exact same fashion as the one on the left. Neither seemed out of the ordinary, no intent clearly etched on their faces. And yet...

Link felt a tingle at the back of his neck.

Ilia had a book laid open on the table. She jabbed her finger down onto the relevant page. "Rinku, the Hero of Time." Another jab. "Rinku, the Hero of Wind." Another. "Rinku, Hero of Hyrule."

"My name's not Rinku," Link mumbled in distraction. He glanced to the left and right again. He was sure of it. The two men were looking his way. Link felt his throat go dry.

"Rinku," Ilia went on, oblivious. "Every century a Rinku to go on some quest and fight some, some...well, _evil_...until one day a Rinku broke the Cycle. Ended it all. Ten thousand years ago."

"But my name's not Rinku."

Ilia gave Link a playful slap on the side of his head, snapping him out of his reverie. "We've been through this," Ilia said. "It's your name in ancient Hylian."

Link sighed, giving her his full attention once more. "The Cycle's broken." He held out his palms. "Yet here I am."

"There must be something new," she mused in a soft voice. "Something you're needed for."

"Or it's just one huge coincidence."

Ilia shook her head. "It can't be. It's not just you, Link. It's the princess, too. Princess Zelda. Her name pops up over and over in the old scrolls. Or her description does. Golden hair, beautiful. Princess of Destiny. Princess of Wisdom. Friend to the Twilight Princess. Exactly at the same time you – or your namesake – shows up. You're both linked, Link."

"Not funny." The mention of Zelda made him feel uncomfortable. "And, anyway, I've never even met the prin-"

 _Your path is askew._

"What is it?" said Ilia.

 _Arrows. Screams._

"Link?" She cradled his cheek with her palm. "What's wrong?"

He blinked away the memory. "Nothing."

"Tell me."

Link pushed her hand away, firm but not unkind. Her touch…welcomed the wrong sort of distraction. "None of these books mention a Breach of Black Glass…?"

"I told you," Ilia replied in a soft voice. "No."

Link sighed. He was lost, then. He glanced over his shoulder – and stood bolt upright. The two black-liveried men were heading his way.

"Ilia," he breathed as moved away from her desk. "I've got to go."

"What?" her face crumpled in confusion. "Why?"

Link turned away. His heart thudded.

"Link?" Ilia's voice, thick with disquiet, called from behind him. "What's going on?"

Without even looking back, he shook his head. "I've got to-"

Link stopped. The two men were still heading toward him. They'd been clearly watching him for a while. And they'd probably seen him talking to his friend.

Link spun on his heel, reached over the desk and gripped Ilia by the wrist. "Hey!" she protested. "Link!"

"Come with me!" He tugged her around the desk and drew her close.

"What are you doing?" she cried. "I'm at work! I can't go anywhere! Da will kill me!"

Link scanned the room, then honed in on a target. He pulled Ilia along as he broke into a sprint. The two pursuers noticed, shifting direction and picking up speed. Link reached the bored looking man he'd spied earlier and swiped the crossbow from his belt. Pointing it straight up, he fired. The resultant crack sent some of the patrons into screams, others running, and left yet more paralysed in shock.

"Link!" Ilia hissed. "What are you _doing?_ "

The young Hylian soldier threw a glance backwards. Their two pursuers were struggling to get past the panic-struck townsfolk. Grim satisfaction sparked within Link's heart. "Grand."

Ilia followed the direction of his gaze. "Who are they...?"

Link didn't reply. He led her to the front entrance – and skidded to a halt on the polished floor as three more men, identically clad in black, burst through the front doors.

 _Oh, just outstanding._

The Hylian felt a tug at his sleeve. "Link," Ilia whispered through clenched teeth. "Back door."

His head snapped toward her.

" _Back door!"_ she repeated.

Link's mouth split into a grin. He kissed her on the forehead – eliciting a surprised "Oh!" from his friend - then fired off an arrow in the direction of the newcomers. The two young friends turned and ran, weaving in and out of the panicked throng. Link let go of Ilia's hand, jumped, landed on the oak desk, then jumped again. Ilia took the long way round and this time it was she who took his hand the moment he landed.

She pointed, pulling him in the direction she wanted. "This way!"

They pushed through the double doors that led to the stairs up to the upper reading rooms.

"Wait," said Link, squeezing Ilia's hand and giving her a quizzical look.

Ilia glanced back. "Back door. Ladder. Goes _down_ to the street." She flashed a smile."Trust me."

Link smiled back, nodding.

The library patrons in the reading rooms were unaware of the commotion down below and looked up, startled, when and Link and Ilia burst through.

"Go!" Link shouted. "Get out of here! Move!"

Nobody moved.

Link raised the crossbow again and fired. Screaming followed, and a mad rush to the stairs. Ilia tugged Link toward a door at the rear. She leaned in. "Those men that are after us," she said through heavy breaths. "They won't hurt any of my customers, will they?"

"No," Link lied. He had no idea who the men were and what they were capable of. "They're after me."

"Why?"

They stepped over open books left discarded on the floor and overturned chairs. "I don't know."

They heard the doors behind them slam open. Link and Ilia twirled around - just in time to see all five of their pursuers slink in. Pushing Ilia behind him, Link raised the crossbow, both hands around the grip.

A black cloak billowed, followed by a brief blast of hot air. The crossbow splintered. Instinct made Link jerk his face to one side. Ilia screamed.

The pursuers began to fan out across the room. Link, his chest heaving, nudged Ilia further backward. He shook the ashes of the crossbow from his glove. His hand was unharmed.

"They're not trying to kill us," Link murmured.

"What?" Ilia's reply was a harsh whisper.

"They want us alive."

"Or just you..." Ilia added darkly.

As though aware of Link's sudden realisation, one of the black-clad men raised his chin. "Come," he said, his voice thick and sweet like honey.

"Where?" Link snapped. Keeping his body ahead of Ilia's, he continued to gently push her backward. "Why?"

"Come," the man repeated. "Silver Mask. Come."

Link frowned."What?"

"Come."

Link peeked from the corner of his eye. They'd made it. He looked back at their pursuers. He wasn't going to get any answers from these men. "No."

Swinging around, Link hit the rear door with a high kick. It cracked open, cool air pouring in and tingling the sweat Link hadn't even realised was layering his skin. The pair dived through the opening - but Link tripped, crashing face-first into the rusted metal platform outside. It shivered with a metallic hum from all the motion.

Ilia gasped. Link felt his heart catch. He looked up and behind. Within the library's upper floor he saw books and scrolls caught in a sudden, howling whirlwind. Hands raised, the men dressed in black made their way slowly toward them. Jagged emerald bolts sparked from the tips of their fingers.

Hissing, Link clambered back to his feet.

"There," Ilia said, pointing.

It was the ladder - set in the wall adjacent to the platform. Link pushed her toward it. "Go," he breathed.

Ilia hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Come back to me."

He could only force a thin smile in response. As Ilia made her way down, Link felt his hair whipped by the otherworldly wind. A sudden prickle of fear ran down his spine. He spun - and stumbled backward as a hand reached toward him.

"Link!"

He turned back, and saw Ilia, one hand shading her eyes, staring up at him from the street below. She'd made it. The relief he tasted was sweeter than wine.

Link swatted the man's hand aside, then gripped the ladder with both hands - it shook under the pressure - and swung his feet out to catch the lower rungs. He slid straight down.

The windows of the upper library blew out in an eruption of green fire.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Keep close," Link murmured. Head bowed, he peered out from within his hood. They walked in a brisk, purposeful walk, though Link tried to give the impression that the two of them were being swept along by the crowd. Ilia clung to his cloak. She hadn't said much since their flight from the library.

Link tried to push the worry away. His first mission may have been a spectacular failure - through no fault of his own - but he still had his skills and now was the time to use them.

He scanned every face they passed. Friend, foe, neutral - so far all had fallen into that last group. Link still kept himself on edge.

The crowd was heading only in a single direction. Noise soaked the air; the roaring cheers of the crowd, the stamping of boots on wooden boards. It was the spectacle of the Game and on this afternoon a match was taking place in the amphitheatre looming up ahead of them.

Stalls had been set up. Some were there to collect the entrance fees, and others served the people with fat waterskins and grilled meat dripping with grease. Link wanted to avoid both of them. His sword was concealed under his cloak, and he didn't want anyone to pay them any close attention.

There were no guards here, just attendants - their sigil of crossed golden clubs marked them out with ease. Sometimes one of them would look their way. Link and Ilia would huddle then, pretending to be in deep conversation. The attendants weren't very smart.

A stray memory whispered in his mind. A story he'd once read - and he wasn't one to read much - about a boy and girl who had wanted to avoid detection and when their pursuers looked their way, they'd embrace and kiss, just a normal couple going about their business.

 _Don't even go there._ He dropped an iron block of self-will onto the thought. _This is real life. Grow up, Link._

The scent of cooked food wafted over to them and Link felt Ilia clutch tighter at his cloak. He sighed inwardly.

"Illy, you hungry?" he whispered.

"No," she replied. "You? It's on me."

Link smiled, feeling some of his tension drain away. At least Ilia was getting some sense of her normal self back.

Link spotted a gap in the crowd. Now was the chance. He took Ilia's hand and tugged. "This way."

They broke into a trot and slipped through the space, halted again when an attendant drew a lazy gaze over them, then moved on when the man found something else to occupy his eyes. Link led Ilia down a path of walkways that ran under the wooden seating area. An avalanche of noise roiled the air above. Ilia cringed, and Link squeezed her hand again. There was an owl watching their progress, seemingly oblivious to all the clamour.

They found a ladder and climbed it up, up, up, until they came to a trapdoor which, when opened, allowed them onto the stone ramparts that encircled the entire arena high above the seats. The air here seemed thinner and colder, a harbinger for oncoming rain.

They closed the trapdoor set into the floor. It was to the right of them, and another one was set to their left.

It wasn't much, but it was the best place Link could think of while they figured out what to do next.

Ilia sat with her back pressed against the wall, her arms wrapped around her knees. Link felt his heart squeeze when he noticed that she still wore an expression of blank shock.

"We have to tell Da," she said.

Link was peering through a crenel, watching the battle that had begun below. One of the gamers held a spear, the other a sword. The spearman was managing to keep the swordsman at bay simply by staying out of reach. The crowd roared in time to each jab.

"No," he replied with a shake of his head.

Ilia protested. "He's the Mayor!"

"Exactly." Link lowered his head. Ilia's father was the Mayor of Kakariko - handpicked for the role by Princess Zelda herself.

"I shouldn't have gone to the library," Link went on, his voice measured and calm. "I shouldn't have got you involved."

He was surprised to feel Ilia's light touch on his sleeve. "Well, I'm here now," she said. "And I say we go see Da."

Timber shook as the crowd erupted in another roar. The spearman had got a hit in. Link watched in fascination. The object of the Game wasn't to kill - there were strict penalties if that happened - just to get your opponent knocked out. His eyes flitted over the crowd - raw hunger and naked glee hung from almost every face.

It reminded him of Garett and his men when the order to loose the arrows on the masked man's young companions had been given. Fifteen years of training, and Link felt a wholly alien question come to his lips:

"Why are we even fighting?"

"Hey," Ilia said with a nudge. "Are you even listening to me?"

Link turned his full attention to her. "Sorry," he said, swallowing. For some reason he'd felt a moment of nausea wash over him. "Really, I am. Look, I don't know if seeing the Mayor's the best idea."

Ilia's eyes narrowed. "Why not?" Link had told her everything that had happened so far. "You think Da's in on all this...?"

"I don't know." Not for the first time, Link felt lost. "I don't who is in on what." He slapped the stone wall in frustration. "I don't even know what's going on!"

Another roll of thunder from the crowd. Link flicked a glance down below. Spearman was winning.

Ilia looked up as an owl came to perch on a merlon nearby. It watched them with wide, dispassionate eyes. Ilia sucked on the inside of her cheek in thought. "Maybe Da could get us an audience with the princess," she said. "She might be able to help. She might know what those... _things_ were in the library."

 _No._

The thought hit Link like a crossbow bolt. Again, something was telling him that wasn't such a good idea.

"Not the princess."

"But those things used magic," Ilia protested. "She knows about magic." A shrug. "Supposedly."

Link looked back at his friend, saw the strands of her hair dangling in front of eyes awash with uncertainty and fear.

He tried to give her a reassuring smile, and spoke in a soft voice. "You want to go home, don't you?"

Ilia hesitated before she replied. "No." The lie was clear and she knew it. "Well, yes. Just not yet. I need to know you'll be safe. That you won't do anything...out of your league."

Link raised a hand, hesitated, then stroked her cheek with one finger. His heart thudded. "Let's get you back to your Da, then." The nearby owl hooted. "Come-" He paused with a frown.

"What?" said Ilia.

Link looked up at the bird. Ilia followed his gaze.

"There was an owl in the forest..." Link mumbled.

"And in the library," Ilia added.

" _And_ on our way up here." Link nodded, remembering. "You know this sort of thing, Illy. Do owls usually appear this early in the day...?"

"It's not unheard of," she replied, pulling herself to her feet. "Not usual, either."

Link followed suit and drew his sword.

The owl squawked. In some sort of bizarre synchronisation, Link and Ilia's eyes grew wide just at the exact time as the owl's narrowed. Glowing scarlet light fast began to fill the thin slits.

The owl opened its beak. " _Don't be afraid, Silver Mask."_

Link stood, face blank. A fine mist of rain began to hiss against the stone ramparts. Ilia just stared as well, though she was the first to find the courage to speak. "What _are_ you?" she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "What do you _want?_ "

" _We are the eyes of our Master,_ " the owl replied. " _All owls are. Our Master..he merely wishes to make Silver Mask here a proposition."_

Link raised his sword arm so it pointed ahead of him, a message to the creature to keep its distance. "Why do you call me that?"

 _"Isn't it obvious?"_ The owl chuckled. " _Your belt._ "

Link let his free hand drop to his belt. The bandit's mask still hung there - now almost scraped clean of all the golden paint leaving a dull silver behind. Link blinked, puzzled, and his sword hand began to sag.

" _Haven't you put it on yet...?"_

Link hesitated as he soaked in the creature's words - and then Ilia moved. She snatched the sword from his now-loose hand and swung wildly at the bird. The owl squawked again, feathers spinning away as it flapped its wings in desperation.

Ilia spun around and shoved Link hard. "Go!" she cried. "Let's go!" Link started to resist, but Ilia pressed on. "We are not discussing this with a...a...a... _demon_ owl! We'll figure this out. We will."

Link gripped Ilia's shoulders and held his ground. "Wait. _Wait._ " He looked up at the bird. It hovered at a safe distance. If an owl could scowl, this one was doing a very good impression.

"You mentioned your Master?" said Link. "Who is he...?"

" _The Smiling Man,_ " the owl replied. " _She cursed him. Cursed him to be forever happy._ "

 _"_ She...?" asked Link. "Princess Zelda...?"

" _Who else?_ "

Interested despite herself, Ilia now addressed the strange bird. "Cursed him to be happy? How is that a curse?"

" _His eyes. Look deep within them and you'll see_." It spat the words with venom. " _Happy, even when watching his beloved wife die in agony. Happy, even when burying his firstborn."_ It flapped its wings in a slow rhythm. " _A tyranny of happiness._ "

"Who is he, though?" asked Link. "What's his name?"

 _"He needs you, Silver Mask,_ " the bird replied, ignoring Link's questions. _"He's been looking for you."_

"Those men in the library..." Ilia said.

Link added, "He sent them...?"

" _Ah, forgive them,"_ the owl answered. " _They lack subtlety and intelligence. Overeager. They weren't meant to cause so much destruction._ "

"And what does he need me for?"

" _To help end her tyranny, of course. To open the breach and cleanse this world of all its corruption._ "

Link blinked. "The breach..."

Ilia leapt in again with Link's sword. "Go away!" she cried. This time the thrust struck home. The owl screeched and plummeted into a downward spin. Ilia tugged hard at Link's sleeve, leading them both into a run.

Link's mind whirled with the creature's words - but he knew what was important."We'll go straight to the Mayor," he breathed. "You'll be safe there."

"Over my dead body," Ilia shot back. "We're getting to the bottom of this. Together." She tossed the sword back to Link who caught it with a deft hand. "And you're right - it's probably better if we leave Da out of -"

They slid to a stop on the now slick floor. Their path was blocked. A trio of burly men - their sigils marking them as attendants to the Game - stood ahead. The trapdoor to the ramparts - the one Link and Ilia had come through - lay open.

"Well, well, well," said one of the men as he crossed his arms. "What do we have here? Trespassers. Wondered what all the noise was. Didn't pay for entrance, I'll wager."

Link raised his blade. "I'll pay. Let us go, and I'll pay off any debt." He looked at each man in turn. "We have no quarrel with you."

The lead man smiled. "No quarrel - ha! Swordsman, is it? That's good. Wasn't I just saying, lads? Last swordie just went down a minute ago. Need some fresh blood. Keep attendances up, right?"

"We're not here for the Game."

"Everyone's here for the Game, pup." The unknown man snapped his fingers. His two companions raised loaded crossbows. The other trapdoor - the one behind Link and Ilia - opened up. Link spun around - but it was too late. A pair of men had already burst out and grabbed Ilia. She struggled, snarling. Link fell into an attack stance -

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." The lead man wagged a finger. "No need for that. No harm done to the little pretty." He glanced at the newcomers. "Manners, boys. Let her go."

The two men released Ilia - but still stood close enough to grab her. Ilia tried to move away, but one of them stepped in and cut her off. She spat in his face. The man just glared.

"Nice," the lead man said. "You owe us money. We need to buck up attendances. Need a swordie for that. Sick of all the spearies winning, know what I mean?"

Link felt a hot sting in his eyes. "Get to the point."

"You fight. You win. You both go free," the lead man said. "Lose, though, and _you_ can still go, boy." He grinned, a gold tooth flashing from within his mouth. "But, for all our troubles, well...we get to keep the girl. Fair's fair, right?"

Link grit his teeth. Could he take them all? Decades of Red Potion pulsed within his veins. He could...but without Ilia getting hurt...?

"Oh, and boy," the lead man went on. "You'll need a gamer name."

"Gamer name?" asked Link.

"Can't fight without one, chum."

Instinct made Link drop his hand to the bandit mask at his belt. Without even thinking, the words came to his lips.

"Silver Mask," said Link. "You can call me Silver Mask."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Princess Zelda knew the truth just by looking at their eyes.

Every day, as twilight approached, she would sit here on her throne, her palms resting on the soft cushioned arms of her seat. Petitioners from far and wide would present to her their woes, asking for her judgement, pleading for her mercy.

She'd listen, her face as cool and smooth as the marble pillars in the Throne Room, taking in the words of the silver-tongued and the stammering alike.

It was the eyes, though, that told her what she needed to know. The desperation, the deception - it was all laid bare there. The eyes could never hide.

As last of the day's petitioners left, Princess Zelda stood, pulling her plum-coloured bodice to flatten out the wrinkles. She looked up at the upper balcony of the chamber.

"Begone." Her voice echoed. In response, the ten crossbow-armed soldiers revealed themselves, saluted and then headed out of the Throne Room.

Zelda liked to give the impression to her subjects that when they visited it was just her and them. She wasn't a fool, though.

Known to be a wise princess in her childhood, then a wise princess in the hearts of her people, and now - even as the sole ruler of Hyrule - a wise princess she stayed. She hated the word 'Queen.' It reminded her of her mother.

Pushing the thought aside, Zelda made her way down the steps of her throne with a grace practiced over many years. She could hear the faint drumming of rain outside.

 _And it had been such a nice day earlier._

The princess began to hum a tune to herself. She couldn't quite place what it was - probably a stray memory of some childhood lullaby. A door in the throne room opened onto a cool, torch-lit passageway that led directly to her bedchamber. With a curt nod to the pair of guards stationed outside, she entered, closed the door behind her and stepped in. The long white satin skirt of her dress was split at the thigh, and her slim legs peeked out with her every motion.

"Whore."

Prince Ralis of the Zora sat hunched in a nearby chair, his hands interlocked, raw hunger in his eyes.

" _Husband,_ " Zelda replied with a thin, icy smiled.

Ralis glared. "What kind of husband never gets to bed his wife?"

"The kind of husband that I need."

The princess made her way to her dresser. She opened one drawer, her nose twitching at the scent of perfume within, closed it, then opened another.

"You needed my people's navy," the Zora replied, a bitter knot in his voice. "Our underwater troops. For some...some phantom enemy."

"For a precaution," Zelda replied. She held up a bangle - it glinted under the natural light - examined it, then returned it to the drawer. "I don't see what the issue is."

"The issue?" Ralis spluttered." The _issue?_ The issue is that you only told me of this on our wedding night."

"How remiss of me," Zelda mumbled.

"This was nothing more than a political alliance!"

"I don't see why you're so surprised. This is the way of the court. It has been for centuries."

Ralis's voice softened. "And what of love?" He pulled himself out of his chair and made his way toward her. "One week we've been married," he purred. "A husband has rights. I demand them."

Zelda, her hand still rummaging in the drawer, felt her fingers curl around cold metal. She waited until he was just behind her, sensed him reaching out to cradle her waist, then spun around, the tip of her thin dagger stopping short at Ralis's grey-skinned cheek. Blood trickled from the tiny puncture.

"You are in no position to make demands of the Princess of Hyrule," she whispered, her stare drilling into his widened eyes. "Oh, and call me 'whore' again and I shall have your tongue. A symbol you may be, Ralis, but you don't have to be a _whole_ symbol."

Ralis stared back at her. When he spoke, his voice had the edge of mockery. "We don't main, we don't mutilate, we don't torture."

Zelda felt her cheeks flush at hearing her motto thrown back at her. Slowly she lowered her weapon, her eyes not leaving her husband's face.

"I remember when you were just a shy little boy," she said. "When did you grow so bold?"

"When I found someone who loved me," Ralis replied, his voice strained. "A Zora girl. If not for this sham of a marriage..." Pain creased his face. "She would've waited until the end of time for me."

"Really," said Zelda. "Was she an idiot?"

Ralis snarled. "You will come to me," he spat. "You will. You have to. You're the last of the Harkinians. You need an heir."

A loud knock rattled the chamber door. Princess Zelda felt a low breath escape slowly from her lips in relief. She didn't like the direction the conversation was heading.

"Come in."

A short, bald man with a straggly, grey beard made his way in. His cheeks were flushed scarlet with excitement. "Highness," he said, nodding at the princess. He turned to Ralis. "Majesty."

"What's this?" Prince Ralis said, low enough that only the princess could hear. "Your secret dwarf fetish, dear...?"

"Sahasrahla," Zelda said, her tone carefully neutral as she ignored her husband. Tossing the dagger aside, she led her old advisor through to another room, the hem of her long dress swishing around her ankles, then gestured at a table within. "Sit."

"Thank you, Highness," the old man wheezed. He scraped back a chair and hauled himself in. "Thank you."

Zelda, moving far more daintily, took her place as well. Ralis slinked off to lounge against a wall behind the princess.

Zelda placed her hands on the table. Her bracelets chimed in time with the motion. "You have news, Sahasrahla?"

"Great news, Highness." His fat chin wobbled. "Great news."

Zelda cocked her head to the side. _Never let yourself be affected by the enthusiasm of your underlings._ "Speak."

"Something happened last night," Sahasrahla explained, his eyes gleaming. "Something immense. We all felt it, wizards and warlocks alike." He breathed in deep. "We believe he had a vision. The one we're looking for. He received a vision."

Zelda raised her chin. "You're certain of this?"

The old man nodded.

A faint smile danced on Zelda's lips. "So he knows?"

"He's…" Sahasrahla wiped his sweaty palms on his tunic. "Probably confused. Or curious. Or both."

"And we've identified him?"

"Um." Sahasrahla's eyes darted about in his nervousness. "Not yet."

Zelda rolled her eyes. The old man felt compelled to speak: "It won't be long now, princess. I promise."

Zelda waved the words away. "Your promises mean nothing to me." She drummed the fingers of her other hand on the richly varnished table. "The Enemy. He would have felt this…event, too?"

"Yes, Highness."

"So." Princess Zelda narrowed her eyes. "A race against time it is."

" _What,"_ Prince Ralis barked from his corner," are you both babbling about?"

Zelda was about to reply, but Sahasrahla held up a palm. "Permit me, Your Highness" he said, turning toward the Zora prince. The old man licked his lips as he composed his thoughts. "It is like this, Majesty," he said. "Hyrule is currently in the grip of a somewhat, ah, delicate situation."

Ralis raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware of this. What situation?"

"Your Majesty, have you ever come across the...ah... _notion_ that the universe Hyrule dwells in is not the only one? That there are other worlds out there, completely different to our own...?"

"In fairy-tales, yes."

"Well," Sahasrahla replied. "Sages over the years have speculated about the nature of these worlds. Maybe in one, Hyrule only exists as a myth, a...a...game to amuse children, perhaps. Maybe in another, life exists perpetually without the need for air, or sustenance, or to even to reproduce."

A wicked smile spread across Princess Zelda's lips. "What _ever_ would you do there, dear husband?" she said. "I like to imagine a world where there _is_ a Hyrule - except in this one, you're not married to the most powerful and wealthy woman in the land, no. In this one you're nothing more than a peasant girl, cleaning out the muck by day, and by night? Well, maybe you would be known as Hyrule's star harlot." She turned to glare daggers at him. "Fitting, I think."

Ralis growled. "I am not going to stand here and take -"

"But you are," Zelda said, the icy tone of her voice inviting no more discussion of the matter. "Sahasrahla, please continue."

The old man nodded. "These worlds; it is said that there's a thin barrier keeping them all wisely separated. But what if we were to tell you that this barrier is weakening, collapsing, that all the different worlds are flowing into each other, overwriting the other, layer upon layer, until - eventually - the whole thing will collapse."

Ralis's face betrayed his piqued interest, though his voice still held a sliver of doubt. "This is...happening? Now?"

Zelda picked up the thread. "We know it is because of the changes we - or, to be precise, Sahasrahla here - notices here in Hyrule. He's the only one immune, the only that sees what comes through the rift."

The old man nodded in quiet satisfaction.

"Is this why you need the Zora...?" Ralis said. "Why you need our soldiers...? To defend yourselves against this...happening?" A vein in his neck pulsed. "My mother will not -"

"Queen Rutela is well aware of the situation," Zelda snapped. "She knows the danger we _all_ face. As do the Gorons, the Calatians and the Ordonites. If it wasn't for the petty hatreds between our two races, an alliance would have been much easier. As it is, the only thing our two people seem to respect is the institution of marriage so I had no choice but to sacrifice myself."

Ralis almost choked. "Sacrifice _yourself...?!_ "

"Stop being so self-centred, husband," she replied.

Silence swept the room. When Zelda spoke next, her voice was thick with a quiet tenderness. "What I do, I do to save all of us. Hylian and Zora alike. I _will_ save the people of my land."

Sahasrahla coughed. "Let me give you both an example." His face held the look of an overexcited child who knew a secret but couldn't keep it in. "Something else happened last night."

Zelda arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Captain Rusl and his new team," Sahasrahla continued. "You are aware, Highness, that they caught the Man in the Golden Mask."

Zelda nodded. "A fine job. Remind me to give him a personal commendation."

"Oh?" Ralis sneered. " _How_ personal…?"

Zelda, her face neutral, kept her gaze on her old advisor. "Excuse my husband. His mind wallows in a level of filth so deep that even pigs would shake their heads in embarrassment."

"Well." Sahasrahla cleared his throat, eager to move on. "Rusl's initial report stated that the bandit killed one of his team and about, oh, five adolescents."

Zelda's eyes flashed with anger. "The bandit scum. He shall hang for this."

"Yes, yes." Sahasrahla coughed again. "But the report changed...within seconds of me reading it."

"Changed?" The princess blinked. "The captain altered an official report…?"

"Nothing so simple, Your Highness."

Zelda knew where this going. Her face grew taut. "What changed, exactly?"

"There _were_ no children. Not anymore, anyway. They never existed. They were…erased."

"Erased." Zelda rolled the word around her tongue.

"Erased?" Ralis said. "How could that be...?"

"This is what we are facing, husband." Zelda replied. "Multiple worlds bleeding into each other, replacing, erasing. The changes so far have been... _relatively..._ small."

"You mentioned a barrier..."

Zelda nodded, pleased that he'd paid attention. "A mystical one. It's difficult to explain - there are only a few _select_ ways to access it." She composed her thoughts, then went on. "There's a breach in it - and it's from that breach that our problems begin."

"A breach," Ralis repeated.

"My father found it many moons ago. In a mystical wall, any gap is represented by a physical sign."

"A Breach of Black Glass," Sahasrahla added.

"Black glass?" Ralis snorted. "Break it, then."

" _No,"_ Zelda replied. "Close it. In my father's time the breach was tiny. He knew of an ancient...prophecy, I suppose, though I loathe such things...of a warrior who _could_ close it. I don't know how exactly, but he - this warrior - would be the one. The only one."

"Ugh," said Ralis. "Chosen ones."

Zelda ignored the interruption. "My father started taking children - babies, really, and always male - from families who - well, let us just say displeased him in some way. He trained those boys, let them subsist on Red Potion so that their skills would be enhanced."

Sahasrahla held up a palm to cut in."The potion would also make them sensitive to...uh...visions from...whatever lies beyond the sensory world. The prophecy mentioned that the warrior would be guided like this."

"Not all the recruits had the stamina for it, though," Zelda said softly. "The Red Potion...it made some of them...unbalanced."

Ralis snorted again. "So your family tried to grow its own...what...? Champion...? _Hero_...?"

"Nothing so crass," Sahasrahla replied. "The one we seek is just a tool. Nothing more."

"A means to an end," Zelda continued. "That reminds me. Captain Rusl...?"

Sahasrahla shook his head. "An exceptional officer, no doubt," he said. "But we think not."

"Pity," said Zelda. "I suspected he wasn't. I didn't see it in his eyes."

She turned her head slightly to regard Prince Ralis. "Father's plan involved too small a sample. I had to find alternatives. When I took the throne, I started the Game. I thought that we could find our warrior that way. If someone showed such extraordinary skill in battle, there'd be a good chance that he was the one." Bitterness seeped into her words. "We have not been so lucky so far."

Again, Sahasrahla cleared his throat for attention. "In the meantime, myself and my fellow wizards kept an ear out. A magical ear, so to speak. If our instrument did appear from some other source, we'd be able to detect a hint of it."

Silence settled between the three of them. Then, slowly, Ralis began to clap.

"Bravo, my sweet, bravo," he said. "I have to say I'm impressed," he said. "Well, almost. A marriage to build an army. A grow-your-own soldier to plug this...breach. Wizards to keep vigil. Of course you neglected to include a way to identify your hero - sorry, your _instrument -_ and once your breach is closed, your united army is useless."

"The army is a precaution," Zelda cut in, irritated at the mocking tilt to his voice."I said so already. I don't know what could come through that breach and I need to be prepared. And even if nothing comes through, a united Hyrule army is something my father never achieved."

"Fair enough," Ralis conceded.

"As for the Breach of Black Glass," said Zelda. "I don't want it closed straight away."

"Oh?"

"No" The princess felt her composure return. "I want to know if I can put something through the breach first." She turned fully toward Prince Ralis. "It's like this, dear husband, I will not allow future generations of my people to live under this threat. Like you said, I am the last of the Harkinians so the well-being of Hyrule - its present and its future - rests on my shoulders."

A shadow fell over Princess Zelda's face. Her eyes shone with conviction.

"You see," she said, "at the end of all this, when everything is said and done, when I finally do decide to close the breach, I intend to make sure that the only world left standing...is _my_ world."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

For two days Link had sat cross-legged on the cold, stone floor of his makeshift cell somewhere deep within Kakariko's amphitheatre. With eyes closed, he had drawn on the lessons he'd learned at the Hylian Academy. A soldier needed to find that spot between total calm and alertness. Supple in body, sharp of mind, as Captain Rusl used to say. Link had searched for that spot in his short captivity.

They'd given him meals two times a day. On the first day, someone took his pictograph - Link only realised when the flash turned the inside of his closed eyelids red. On the second day, the man called Kronklin - the leader of the attendants that had cornered Ilia and himself - delivered to him a fresh set of clothes.

"What's this for?" Link had asked.

"Your gamer outfit," had been Kronklin's reply.

Link had given it a once over. "Why dark green?"

"Makes you more visible on the field," the attendant had explained. "For our audience, like."

Link had spied the extra item sitting on top of the folded tunic. "And the hat?"

"Well." Kronklin's mouth had split into a toothy grin. "We sent your pictograph around to our test audience," he had said. "The ladies said they were partial to seeing you in a floppy hat. Said it'd make you look, um... cute."

Link had decided to set the hat aside.

Now the day of his Game had come. Link had his eyes closed as he walked toward the pit. Everything outside was a dull, smothered roar. In his mind, Link drifted. He was on a beach - maybe one of the Calatian Islands - the sea gently sloshing at his feet, the sun hugging him with its warmth. Maybe Illy would be with him. A laid-back, carefree existence - Link felt totally at peace.

A hand to the chest jolted him to a stop. Link's eyelids cracked open. He was standing in front of a steel-gated archway. Ahead of him was the lay the sandy pit of the arena. The noise of the crowd struck him, throbbing through his bones and pounding in his ears.

Kronklin stood to one side. He took his hand off Link's chest and folded his arms. The attendant was chewing on something unidentifiable. Ilia was next to him, tight-lipped and wide-eyed. Link gave her a nod. She just stared back.

"We got a doozy for you today, pal," said Kronklin with a grin. "You're up against two today." He held up a pair of fingers. "One after the other, though, so don't be staining you pants already." He scratched the inside of his ear. "The Spear, he's your first. And your second - It's the Behemoth himself, boy. The un-de-fea-ted Behemoth." He tipped his head. "Have yourself a good time out there, Silver Mask."

Kronklin snapped his fingers. Gears grinded and chains rattled as the rusted gate made its groaning path upward.

The serenity Link had just felt was beginning to fade already. Captain Rusl had always told him he needed to work on that. He'd always found it hard, always found something to spoil the moment. It was like a stone thrown into a lake, or grit irritating the eye.

The gate was fully up. It was time. Link and Ilia locked gazes once again. She mouthed something, but he couldn't make out what.

Link pulled the silver mask down over his face.

' _Finally.'_

Link froze. The feminine voice echoed around his head.

"Who are -" He stopped himself and projected with his mind. ' _Who are you?'_

' _I thought you were never going to put me on.'_

Visions beyond time and space, black-clad pursuers with magic, talking owls, and now this. Link wasn't surprised to hear himself think: ' _You're the mask.'_

 _'You may call me Fi. I fell through the Breach of Black Glass.'_

 _'You know what it is?'_

 _'I was searching for you,_ ' the entity called Fi replied. ' _But we will discuss this later. It appears you are about to be quite occupied being beaten to a mangled pulp.'_

Link stopped himself from shaking his head. The past three days had basically floored him with all the strangeness.

He stepped into the arena, and immediately scanned the area.

 _Just like a good little soldier boy._

The first thing he noticed were the owls perched all around the circumference of the pit. It seemed he had more than one audience today. The arena was shaking with all the noise. Link spied patches of dark red that had seeped into the sand, a sign of fights done and dusted.

' _I must say,'_ Fi said, _'that compared to my previous owner, your facial orifice is a vast improvement. His had quite the unique odour.'_

Link tried to block the voice from his head. He could just take the mask off, he supposed. But somehow he didn't think Kronklin would appreciate the gesture, and he didn't want to put Illy in any further jeopardy.

The second thing he noticed was his initial opponent.

Fittingly, the Spear carried his namesake as a weapon, chopping the air to the left, the right and above him as the staff spun and twirled in his hand.

Link measured his opponent up quickly and stood his ground. The midday sun beat down on his back, his fresh green tunic sticking to the skin. Raucous screams filled the air. The spectators were in a rowdy mood today.

The Spear walked toward him at a deliberate pace, his staff still in perpetual motion. Link didn't move. He didn't even draw his sword. There wasn't any point. He raised his fists and fell into a loose stance. Sand slipped under one boot and he almost lost his footing. With a frustrated hiss, Link steadied himself.

His opponent was almost an arm's length away now. Link could feel the whirling staff pushing air into his mask, flicking at his blond hair. The Spear moved one step closer. Another...

Link's fist snaked out and cracked the man in the jaw. He fell to the floor in an instant. A collective gasp dissolved into a chorus of boos.

"Too quick, boy," Kronklin called out through cupped hands. "Give 'em their money's worth."

A shout rang out from somewhere on the arena floor. "Unleash the Beheeemooooth!"

The crowd exploded, boots stamping on wood. Link flexed his fingers in anticipation. A gate opposite him rattled upward. The crowd were almost feverish in their eagerness now, crazed at the sight of their champion.

The Behemoth stepped into the arena. Link's eyes widened.

The man - if you could call him that - was about seven feet tall, with arms that rippled with bulging veins and legs as thick as tree trunks. Huge steel gauntlets covered his wrists, but he carried no other weapons. His chest heaved. Spittle flew from his lips.

If it wasn't for his Red Potion enhanced frame, Link probably wouldn't have stood a chance. Speed was no good, either. Eventually you'd tire, and the big brute would get his hit in and it would be game over. In this case, quite literally.

He'd have to go straight in. Link strode forward and, when the Behemoth was in reach, threw a left. His opponent slapped it aside. The crowd cheered. Link followed with a right - another block. He hit a low kick that struck the Behemoth's right knee. This time the big man winced, but he kicked back with his left leg and sent Link tumbling backward.

Link drew his sword and held it with both hands. He burst into a sprint toward the Behemoth. The crowd roared their approval.

Link swung his sword overhead, throwing all his weight behind it. The Behemoth threw up crossed wrists. Blade and gauntlets came together in a metallic crash. The sound was drowned out by the glee of the assembled spectators - they were loving every moment.

They stood there, locked, Link looking into jaundiced bloodshot eyes of his opponent.

"That's the last time I'll block your sword," the Behemoth said. "I just wanted you to know what you're into here."

Link frowned. "What?"

"Kill me," the Behemoth whispered. "Please. I beg you."

"Why?"

"I can't stop it. I can't control it."

Link's heart pounded. The Behemoth's mewling voice sounded so strange coming from such a large man.

"I steal," the Behemoth explained. "Over and over. I trash people's houses and I enjoy it. That's the only reason. I throw the stuff away when it's all done."

Link still had his sword locked with the man's gauntlets. This really wasn't what he was expecting a Game to be like.

The Behemoth wasn't finished. "It's sick. _Sick._ " The big man grit his teeth. "And. Afterward. I. Feel. So. Disgusted. With. Myself."

Despite everything, Link felt a twinge of sympathy. _I know that feeling, friend._

"Kill me!" With a burst of rage, the Behemoth pushed Link's sword up and then shoved him to the ground. The crowd were already on their feet in anticipation of another knockout.

"Do it," the Behemoth spat.

Link tried to shake the grogginess from his head. "Do it yourself."

The Behemoth roared. "Why do none of you take your chance? I offer myself and you do nothing."

Link knew why. A lifetime in the castle dungeons hung over anyone who killed intentionally during the Game. Link briefly wondered why Princess Zelda was so eager to keep the gamers alive.

He didn't have time to chase down that thought. The Behemoth threw back his head and screamed - the crowd screaming along with him - then charged at Link. The youngster moved, spinning on his right foot as the Behemoth passed, then Link drove his left knee into the back of his opponent's right knee- the one that had made the Behemoth wince moments earlier. The Behemoth crumpled to the ground, his knees churning up clouds of dust.

Link moved in - but the big gamer turned and, more from instinct than design, hit him with a swinging punch. Now it was Link was on the floor. The world spun in the narrow slits of his mask. He spat. The tooth that he'd loosened in the fight with the bandit came flying out, hitting the inside of the mask before tumbling to the ground.

A combination of the Silver Mask and the Red Potion built-up in his body had cushioned most of the blow - but Link didn't think he could take another.

' _I felt that,_ ' said Fi. ' _I wish it to be noted that I do not approve of any course of action that results in your being struck in the face while I hang from it.'_

' _Hey,'_ Link projected. ' _Fi. Can you do anything other than speak in my head?'_

 _'Such as?'_

' _I don't know...special powers?'_

 _'Ah. Special powers. Invisibility. Bolts of lightning. Super-speed.'_

Hope sparked in Link's heart. ' _You can do all that?'_

' _No.'_

Something cawed. Link looked up. Another one of those owls was before him, staring down at Link with eyes the colour of blood.

" _Do you see now, Silver Mask?"_ it said. " _This pathetic thief. This pathetic excuse for a life. She allows him to escape justice. Allows him to fight here just so her treasury can grow fat. Come. Let us leave this charade and meet the Master._ "

Link looked away. He didn't have time for this. He just wanted to save Ilia.

 _'I do not believe this creature to be trustworthy,'_ said Fi.

"You can say that again," Link murmured with his actual voice.

 _'I do not believe this creature to be trustworthy.'_

Link closed his eyes and stifled a groan. _Outstanding. A talking owl that wants to preach to me and a talking mask that takes everything literally._ His head was starting to hurt. Link pushed himself upright and, in a fit of frustration, took a wild kick at the owl. Laughter rained down from the spectators above.

"Hey, Silver Mask," Kronklin shouted. "You ain't fighting the bird, chum."

Link looked up at the Behemoth. His opponent was just standing there, waiting.

"Kill me," the big gamer said again.

"I heard you the first time."

"I loathe myself. Take your chance. Don't be like all the others. Don't force me to knock you out because you were too weak to act."

Link lifted the mask for a moment and swept his sleeve across his mouth. The dark green cloth was now stained red.

Time for a different strategy.

' _I agree,'_ said Fi.

Link felt a muscle in his cheek twitch. _'Do you listen in on everything?'_

 _'Just your strongest thoughts,'_ she replied. ' _Who is Ilia?'_

' _Can you stay on focus, please?'_

 _'If_ you _can,'_ Fi replied with an air of slight irritation. _'Anyway. I detect your opponent relies more on raw emotion than measured, considered thought. I believe there is an eighty-seven percent chance that the latter approach may even overwhelm him.'_

Link ran the words through his mind. A slow smile spread over his face. _'Just grand.'_

He stood, trying to keep his legs from shaking. Link flipped his sword into the air, caught it by the blade with his gloved hand, and then strode toward his opponent.

With his free hand, Link hit the Behemoth with a punch that jerked the gamer's head to one side. The crowd _oooh-ed_. The Behemoth snapped his head straight back, and grinned. Link waggled the fingers of his now-aching limb.

"Best you got?" the Behemoth said. "Use your sword, boy. Run me through."

"I'm not going to kill you."

"Why?" snarled the Behemoth. "What do you live by - justice or mercy? Choose, but choose wisely. Don't you see? I'll do it again. People will suffer. I can't stop. I _can't._ "

"You can't?" said Link. A momentary burst of sunlight flashed between them. "Or is it just too hard to try?"

The brute stopped, stunned, as though the thought had only just popped into existence at that very moment. In the split-second of hesitation, Link swung with his sword arm, pushing with all the years of Red Potion swimming within it, and rammed the blade's hilt hard into the side of the Behemoth's head. Everyone in the arena froze in an instant, a blanket of hushed silence falling over every single thing.

The Behemoth's eyes rolled to their whites. He slowly collapsed backward, his arms flying out to the side. The once-undefeated champion hit the ground in a spray of sand.

The crowd erupted.

Link stood over his fallen foe, sword in gloved hand. "Mercy," he whispered. "I hope."

Link slowly panned his eyes over the crowd. They were screaming, their faces almost distorted by their bloodlust and joy. He could vaguely hear both Kronklin and Ilia calling out for him. A chant began to ring out around the amphitheatre. _Sil-ver Mask! Sil-ver Mask! Sil-ver Mask!_

Link cast his sword aside.

' _Fi?'_

 _'Yes?'_

' _Tell me everything,'_ he said with his mind. ' _Tell me everything about the Breach of Black Glass.'_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Princess Zelda closed her fist around the parchment. This wasn't the news she had wanted to hear.

In one corner of her bedchamber, Prince Ralis snored from his makeshift bed. The loud, trembling vibrations bore into her head and just added to her irritation. An idle thought came to the princess: if she made true on her promise to slit his tongue, would it stop his snoring, too?

She shook her head. No time for amusements now. Zelda marched out of her room and down a corridor. Torches lit the way. She'd worn lilac today, and the hem of the long dress trailed behind her. The princess turned a corner into a passageway bathed in moonlight, then turned another.

A solitary chambermaid was there, cleaning the marble walls. She scrubbed at the alabaster surface with a worn rag that squeaked with her every movement. A gasp flew from her lips when she caught sight of the princess and, quickly hiding the cloth behind her back, she curtsied as Zelda passed.

The princess stopped, and turned. Wide, slightly-panicked eyes stared back at her.

"Your name is Elise, right?" Zelda said.

The chambermaid nodded. She opened her mouth for a moment, then snapped it shut the very next.

"The Mistress of Chambermaids told me about you," Zelda continued. She smiled. It lit up her face in the moonlight. "You had a special request?"

Elise's cheeks flushed red. "Oh, she shouldn't have done that, ma'am. Highness." Her voice descended to a squeak. "Princess."

"You have a baby brother." Zelda looked her up and down. Elise didn't seem a day older than fourteen. "He's sick. You wanted to visit...?"

Elise cast her gaze to the floor. "Just a week. To help n all. Ma's old and Da...well, he's gone. And the baby keeps spewing something fierce."

Zelda's voice was soft. "He probably doesn't even realise what's happening to him."

Hope and distress warred in the chambermaid's small voice. "It doesn't even have to be a week. I know we're only allowed a day or two. Mistress shouldn't have said."

"Take a month," Zelda replied. "Starting tomorrow morning."

Elise looked up and gawped. Zelda turned on her heels to leave, adding, "And take a month's pay, too. I'll be praying for your brother."

The princess didn't stop to acknowledge Elise's teary-eyed declarations of thanks. She found the door she wanted, grasped the handle, and stepped in.

Captain Rusl and Sahasrahla were already there, seated at a table. Their eyes flew up as she entered.

Zelda strode up to them, ignoring the chair drawn for her, then leaned in, pressing her palms into the grainy wood.

"What do you mean he just walked out and left?" she said. "How did this happen?"

A lantern sat on the table, providing both light and heat. Flying pests were drawn into its radiance. Scrolls littered the tabletop.

Sahasrahla fidgeted with his hands. He wore a sheepish expression. "It seems...ah...he had an agreement with the Kakariko attendants. That if he won his Game, he and his female companion were free to go."

Zelda's voice was taut, kept in line by icy self-control. "I see."

"They weren't to know, Highness," the old man said. "I'll have them flogged in the morning."

Zelda waved away the suggestion. "So. This gamer - this Silver Mask - " she picked up the crumpled parchment from the table and gave it a vicious shake "- that emerged out of _nowhere,_ defeated the Spear with a single blow, and ended the Behemoth's undefeated run...was just allowed to walk away...?"

"To be fair to the attendants," Rusl cut in with his deep voice. "They did try and convince him to stay. For the business."

With a snarl, Zelda hurled the scrunched-up paper aside. "And we don't even know what he looks like?"

Sahasrahla let out a deep breath, his face softening. Zelda turned his way. "Or do we?"

"We do," he said, nodding happily. "Well, I do. I was saving it so you could both see. A pictograph. One without his mask."

Zelda turned to him. "Show me."

Sahasrahla reached into his tunic, pulled out the picture and slid it across the table. All three of them peered down.

"That..." Rusl breathed. "That can't be."

Zelda glanced up at the captain. "You know him?"

A slight tremble took over Rusl's whole frame. "It's not possible. He's dead." The captain sucked in a long breath. "He was one of mine," Rusl explained as he rubbed his chin in thought. "When we went up against the Man in the Golden Mask. It was his first mission."

"Your report said you had one casualty," Zelda said in a gentle voice. "It was him...?"

The captain nodded. "His name is Link."

A jolt struck Princess Zelda, her eyes in a sudden flutter. Air hissed from her lips. She slumped into her seat.

"Highness!" Sahasrahla gasped. His chair scraped as he pushed to his feet. He leaned over and touched her lightly on the arm. "Are you alright...?"

Captain Rusl leaned across the table as well, though with a bit more decorum. "Princess...?"

"That...name," she murmured in reply. "Familiar..." She shook her head, letting the feeling pass, then moved her arm out of the old man's reach. "Forget it. It was nothing."

As Sahasrahla sat back down, he exchanged uncertain glances with the captain.

Zelda pretended not to notice. _Let them think what they want._ She looked up at Rusl.

"Captain," she said. "Did you personally check on this... _Link's_ corpse?"

"I..." Rusl hesitated. "No. I...I trusted the word of my men."

Zelda nodded, deep in thought. "So there's no guarantee that he even -"

A sudden motion drew her eyes to the lantern. The flame within had started to flicker. Her eye twitched. Slowly, she rose to her feet.

"Highness...?" Captain Rusl asked with a frown.

She put a finger to her lips. The temperature in the room plunged to an almost icy depth. In an instant, all three of them could see their breath seep from their lips as vapour. Zelda wrapped her arms around herself. Sahasrahla exchanged glances with the captain again - this time ones of confusion.

A ghostly sigh echoed around the chamber.

"Who's there?" the princess demanded. "Stop hiding."

"Ha," a disembodied voice replied. "Ha-ha-ha-ha."

Zelda felt her skin grow cold. She recognised the voice in a heartbeat.

"The Smiling Man," she whispered.

Captain Rusl leapt to his feet, sword drawn.

"Wait," Zelda said softly. She looked around and addressed the invisible presence. "How did you break through the castle's magical defences?"

"You don't need to know how," the voice replied with a chuckle. "As you can see, little princess, my power has grown."

Zelda waved the captain back down. He sat, but still gripped his sword.

 _It won't be much use. This is a magical projection. The Enemy isn't even here - but he can see us._

Zelda glanced here and there. It was hard to focus without there being anything to hone in on. Even harder was the fact that she couldn't see his eyes. "What do you want?"

"Ha," said the Smiling Man. "Ha-ha-ha-ha. Silver Mask is what I want. What we all want. Isn't that right?"

Zelda's heart sank. "What do you know about him?"

"I know enough to ensure he stays away from you," the Smiling Man replied, his voice an odd mixture of venom and cheeriness.

"Tell me, princess," the Enemy continued. "What is it like to be so beautiful?"

"What kind of question is that?" asked Zelda.

The Smiling Man ignored her. "What's it like to know that every man in your realm lusts after you? Even the old man there, and your oh-so-pious captain." He paused to let his words sink in, then, "Oh, didn't you know? They think it. Even if just once in their life - and I assure you it's more than that - they think it. The dreams they have, little princess, the dreams of cutting you down to size."

Rusl rubbed his forehead with his free hand as he averted his eyes. Sahasrahla found a sudden fascination with the floor.

Zelda's face was a stony mask. It wasn't news to her at all. She'd seen that look in many a man's eye. "They aren't like you," she said, her voice as firm as her expression. "They know how to rise above themselves."

"Ha," said the Smiling Man. "Ha-ha-ha-ha. You are so naive."

"Am I?" Zelda whispered.

"Yes. About men. About all people."

"People," Zelda repeated. "I've seen them. I know them. I've seen their eyes."

She stepped forward. "Those that come to the Game. Ordinary folk. Kind, cruel, the humble and the braggarts. I know what unites them, what brings them all down to the same level."

"What is it, then?" the Smiling Man asked. "Pray tell."

"When they throw in their lot with one of the gamers," Zelda replied. "When their favourites win so that they can taunt the fans of the losers. So that they can feel good thinking that they are _better._ "

Rusl and Sahasrahla were alert now, watching her, listening.

"My Hylians," the princess went on. "My husband's Zora. Two civilisations. Elegant, peaceful - at least, most of the time. They're united - in a way they're not even aware of. They wallow. They wallow in ignorance of the other. Because to do otherwise would strip them of their comforting sense of _superiority_."

Her deep sapphire eyes flashed. "The priests and monks of the various sects of Hyrule. Generous in their charity. Comforting the distressed. They pour over scroll after scroll after scroll. What are they looking for? Not for the things they claim - not enlightenment, not transcendence, no. They just want to prove the other wrong, to think that they are _right_."

A humourless smile touched Princess Zelda's lips. "And you, Smiling Man. Why have you come here really? To brag that about how much more you know about this Silver Mask than I do? Does that you make you feel...so, _so_ good? So special?

"Believe me, I would dearly love to find that rare heart free from all these taints, but I haven't found her yet. All I know is that, for all our flaws, we can rise above them."

Silence followed her little outburst. Princess Zelda swallowed. She hadn't planned to talk so much. She'd just felt compelled. Her two advisors were still staring at her. But where was the Enemy...? Had the Smiling Man fled...?

"Ha," the disembodied voice returned. "Ha-ha-ha-ha. Liar. Hypocrite."

Zelda knew exactly what he was referring to. "My people are my responsibility. If I do things to protect them that aren't so black and white-"

"Is that a tremor in your voice, little princess? Are you doubting yourself?"

Zelda's eyes narrowed. "Never."

"I know your plan. All those people in all those other worlds. Your protection doesn't extend to them, does it? You don't care how they suffer, do you? You're not going to rise above that, are you?"

Zelda raised her chin. Her lips were drawn in a tight, thin line.

The Smiling Man wasn't finished. "You want to destroy all the other worlds and close the breach."

"And you wish to open it and destroy mine."

" _Because_ of you, you miserable bit-"

"Then you will die, too!"

"Because I have so much to live for, am I right? But, at least, thanks to you, I'll die happy."

"I'm..." Zelda's voice faltered. She glanced at her two advisors. It wasn't good for them to see her like this. But she had little choice - the twist in her heart had already made her eyes glisten. "I'm...sorry for what I did to you."

"Ha!" the Enemy replied. "Ha-ha-ha-ha. And yet you don't reverse it...?"

Zelda's hands balled into fists. "I would if I could! Look - you have power now, we could work together, save Hyrule from -"

" _No._ The die is cast. Now we shall what comes home to roost. I only came to say one thing - Silver Mask is mine. You will _lose."_ Another deep, otherworldly sigh followed. "Farewell."

The lantern flickered again and warmth flooded back into the chamber.

Zelda grit her teeth, a frustrated gargle in her throat. "Schli!" She gripped the sides of her head. " _Schli! Schli! Schli!"_

"Princess Zelda!" Sahasrahla gasped, aghast. "That is not the type of language a monarch of Hyrule should use. And through the holy tongue of ancient Hylian as well!"

The princess whirled around. "We need to find this Link. Now. Don't we have _any_ leads?"

Captain Rusl held his palms out in helplessness. "I'm afraid not, Highness."

"Did no one even notice in which direction he left?"

Sahasrahla shrugged. "The, uh, attendants, they were being..."

"Inattentive?"

The old man had the grace to look away.

Zelda closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. "The girl that was with him. Do we have anything on her?"

Rusl shook his head.

"There was no pictograph taken of her," Sahasrahla added. "Only a general description. But it could match any fair maiden of Kakariko."

Zelda was almost tempted to bring in every single young girl from that nearby town. Another thought came to her. She turned to Rusl. "Captain," she said. "I am going to need one of your Trackers. Your elite ones."

An uncomfortable look crossed Rusl's face. "No, Highness. You...you know how unstable they are. The Red Potion effect is even worse -"

"Captain Rusl," Zelda whispered, leaning down to look into the soldier's eyes. "Did you just say 'no' to the Princess of Hyrule?" She stared at him until a vein in his temple started to throb. "I am requesting the use of one of your Trackers."

He composed himself and nodded. "I know of just the one, Your Highness." Rusl met her gaze once more. "The Imp."

Sahasrahla was shaking his head in a desperate bid to get Zelda's attention. She ignored him.

"Excellent." The princess smiled."Who is he?"

" _She._ The best I've got."

Zelda nodded in satisfaction. "She. Even better. And what's her name?"

"Midna," said Captain Rusl. "Her name is Midna."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Link couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Complain."

"Mmm?" Ilia said, distracted. She was walking a little ahead of him, her eyes searching the dimly-lit, deserted Kakariko street. "I don't see anything. You sure your mask got it right?"

Link reached forward, caught Ilia by the wrist and spun her around. "Look at you," he said. "You've got rings under your eyes. You've been wearing the same clothes for days." He took her other wrist and pushed her gently against the wall of a nearby building. "You...you're not my happy, smiling Ilia anymore, and you don't even complain! Why don't you complain?"

Ilia's eyes widened. "Uh..."

Link blinked, suddenly realising how close he was pushing against her. With an embarrassed cough, he released her.

Ilia made a swift exit out of his reach. "So," she said, her cheeks flushed. She pulled on her tunic."Your, uh, mask -"

"Fi."

"Yeah. Fi. She sure there's a door here?"

Link couldn't look Illy in the eyes. "I trust her."

"I know." Ilia's voice was soft. A dog barked somewhere nearby. "That's not what I meant."

"There's a door. She said it'd be easy to find."

He looked around. Tall buildings hemmed in the narrow street on both sides. Steam drifted across the rooftops above. A damp, cobbled pathway lay beneath their feet. They were trying to find an establishment - a secret one - that Fi had described as a 'Music Parlour.' It belonged to a man named Tingle. Apparently he could help direct them to the Breach of Black Glass.

Ilia rubbed her wrists and Link felt a twinge of guilt in response. There were ink blotches on her fingers, too, the result of a letter she'd written to her father telling him that she was safe and not to worry. It wasn't hard to get mail to the Mayor. Still. Link wished he could be as confident as her about safety.

And, yet, despite it all he was happy she was here. _Really_ happy.

"Well," Illy said. The dog barked again. "Maybe you should put the mask on and ask one more time...?" She sucked on the inside of her cheek for a moment. "It's just...I don't see _anything_ here, Link. Just endless, blank walls." Her voice became more cautious. " _Orrrr..._ we could go to -"

Link shook his head. "We're not going to Princess Zelda."

Illy sighed. "Doesn't she want what we want? To close this breach...? Isn't that was the mas - Isn't that what Fi said...?"

Images flew across Link's inner eye. Garett telling his team to shoot down the youths. The twisted ecstasy of the spectators at his Game. The screams in the air when he'd fought the bandit.

"I don't know what Zelda wants." Link finally looked up at her. "I just know that I don't want to see her. At least not now." He sighed. "Is this what you were talking about, Illy? The Cycle?"

"I think so, Link." She looked at him with softened eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Over and over. Never ending" He shivered. It wasn't just from the cold, night air.

"I never said _that._ Not never ending." Ilia seemed to guess where this was headed. "What are you trying to say...?"

"It has to finish somewhere," he replied, his voice strained. "Why go on? Why give people a chance when they just waste it? When all they want to do is hurt and hurt and hurt?" His throat felt raw. "You said the Cycle had ended before. And now here we are - and look at the state of us. Why close the breach at all?"

Ilia stepped in close, alarmed. "Hey. _Hey._ Where's this coming from?" She slid her fingers into his. Link didn't resist. He realised his hand was trembling. "You've been through a lot. We both have. You're not thinking straight. We're not letting this...this Smiling Man win."

"But what if he's right?"

"I believe in happy endings, Link. I don't know why - blame all those books I read." She leaned in, the heel of one foot lifting out of her shoe, and searched his eyes. "And what about me? Don't I get a chance to live...?"

Link stared at her, blinking, then dissolved into a smile. A sense of calm washed over him. It felt like the inner glow he'd experienced after his vision. Ilia's face relaxed. She smiled back.

And Link froze.

"What is it?"Illy said, her smile fading.

"The dog," Link said. He tightened his grip on her hand and looked back down the narrow street. "It's stopped barking."

Ilia frowned. "What dog?"

"Illy - move!" He broke into a sprint, pulling Ilia with him.

Just as he did something whistled through the air and struck the wall where they'd been standing just seconds ago. They both jerked around to look.

"What was that?!" Ilia cried.

"Sleep dart," Link replied. "It's a Tracker. Down!"

They ducked. Another dart cracked the wall above them. A tiny stream of rubble rained down on them. Link stood, again breaking into a run. Ilia followed without question.

"Trackers," Link explained, glancing over his shoulder. "They're part of Zelda's army. Search and capture. They'd get a bit...creative on the capture part. Captain Rusl had to get it through their heads that their targets should still be breathing when they brought them in."

"And the princess has sent one...after _us?"_

Link nodded. "There was one in particular. Liked to practice on animals. Dogs, mostly." He considered further. "Wolves were exempt for some reason."

Link looked up. _There._ On the rooftops above, the moving shadow of a tiny figure. He _felt_ the dart fly before he saw it; his sword whispering out of its sheath in a heartbeat to deflect the attack aside. Ilia's panicked cry died gurgling in her throat.

"We're easy targets out in the open," she said. "Where is that door?"

Despite the situation, Link was impressed. Just a few days and Illy was developing quite the strategic brain. Then again, she'd always been smart.

Link saw something from the corner of his eye. "Back!"

They threw themselves against the wall, their backs pressing against the hard stone. Ilia saw what he'd spotted. "An owl," she said. "You have got to be joking."

Link gave a small shake of his head. "Stay down."

Link sheathed his sword and they both fell into a crouch. Another dart slit the air and pinged harmlessly nearby.

"Out _stand_ ing," Link breathed. "Frying pan or fire."

"Were in deep shadow here," Ilia said, hope rising in her hushed voice. "The Tracker can't see us, right?"

"Darkness is what she likes best."

"She? You know her...?"

"Know _of_ her."

"Where's the owl...?"

"Still there." Link pointed with a gloved figure.

The creature hadn't noticed them yet. It was perched on the roof of the opposite building, its eyes searching, left, right, left - It jerked upright, then toppled over, a dart protruding from the back of its head.

Link felt Ilia stiffen next to him. "Was that good or bad?" she said, her voice clearly straining against the panic she felt. "Where is this Music Parlour?"

"Let's find out."

Link pulled on the Silver Mask.

' _Fi. Where's the door to Tingle's?'_

 _'I would like it noted that I do not care for this interruption. Could you go back to bonding with your female paramour? I was finding that quite enjoyable.'_

 _'She's not my...paramour.'_ Link had to resist the urge to shake his head. _'Where's the door?'_

 _'On the contrary. I predict that there is a ninety-eight percent probability that you and her will -'_

 _'WHERE'S THE DOOR?'_

 _'There is no need for mental shouting. Look behind you.'_

Link turned to look at the wall behind them. Someone had scribbled a crude 'T' on the surface.

' _Oh, and duck.'_

Link did so, pulling at Ilia so that she'd do the same. A dart clattered into the wall.

' _Didn't I tell you it would be simplicity itself to find? Now place your hand on the letter and push.'_

He did. Link and Ilia fell through and landed on their feet.

The lights hit them first. Lanterns of various colours winked on and off in the crowded room. The noise was next. Music blasted their ears at a volume that was far too loud. An all-Zora band played in one corner. A nearby board proclaimed them to be the 'Indigo-Gos'. Swaying people swarmed the room, grins plastered on their faces, their eyes glazed.

What was this place? Seeing Hylians dance to Zora music would have been unthinkable a year ago. This time Link did shake his head. There wasn't any time to wonder. He pulled the mask off and attached it to his belt.

"Come on," said Link.

They walked through the revellers in a sleepwalk, rigid like ReDeads, unaffected by the music and the high spirits. It was too hot, the close proximity of so many people suffocating. Link kept a tight grip on Ilia's hand. There was a bar in another corner - he looked over it, and the skin prickled on the back of his neck. An owl was there.

"Down," he said.

"Left?" Ilia whispered as she craned her neck downward.

Link threw a casual glance that way. There was a door over there, true. But also another owl, perched on a shoulder of a girl far too oblivious to notice. "Negative," he murmured. "Keep straight on." He risked a look backward. Something small and dark was snaking its way between the dancing legs. Link took a deep breath. "Tracker's here, too."

"Link, stop."

Ilia slipped her hand from his and turned around. Link stopped, his eyes wide. "Illy - what -?"

"Where is she?" Ilia said, standing her ground. The lanterns cast shadows of blue, green and red on her face. Her eyes looked feverish. "Where's the Tracker?"

"No," Link cried. "Negative. _No_." The shadow was picking up speed now - he could see it in his peripheral vision. Link tried to grab Illy's hand, but she slipped out of the way."We are not talking to her."

"Why not?" Ilia said, the panic now clear in her voice. "They're not all bad, Link. Everyone with the princess isn't all bad. If we could just explain...convince her to join us. And then we could see the princ-"

Link snatched Ilia's wrist just as the shadow appeared. He caught a flash of yellow-orange eyes under an oversized helmet before he dove into the crowd with Illy in tow. His ear pricked as something flew past it. A moment later, one of the revellers ahead of them collapsed.

Screams shot out. People started jostling into each other - Link and Ilia found themselves rocked from side to side in a rough fashion. A murmur of confusion swept over the partygoers. The music had stopped. Link heard the slow flap of wings.

 _Owls._

Now he started to push people out of the way, elbowing some, aiming kicks at others. The sea of people began to part as he ploughed through them. He headed left, toward the door that Ilia had spotted earlier. One of the lanterns shattered as a dart hit it. More people screamed.

A choking gasp flew from Link's lips. He lost his grip on Ilia. Someone had decided to take offence to his aggressive pushing and had caught him by the neck. Instinct overrode thought. Link thrust an elbow into his assailant, causing him to be let go, and turned.

It was a big man - nowhere near as large as the Behemoth, but big enough. He threw a punch that Link easily dodged.

 _This has to be quick. He's just angry. He's not an enemy._

He spotted Ilia to the side, watching with an anxious look on her face. He couldn't tell where the Tracker was.

Link faced his opponent and hit three quick punches to the side of the big man's head. That seemed to stun him - but, to Link's surprise, only for a moment. The man lunged forward, caught Link in a bear hug and slammed him to the hard floor. Pain shot up his spine. His breath burst from his lungs. The world began to spin.

Link turned his head to the side. There his woozy eyes met an abandoned high-heeled shoe. With teeth gritted, Link grabbed it, sprung to his feet, and swung a glancing blow to the man's eye with the heel. His opponent howled as he stumbled backward.

It was enough. The man wouldn't be back for a while, and the damage to his eye was minimal.

Link reached for Ilia again - but she was already ahead of him. The fracas had caused more attention to turn their way, and Illy seemed to have decided to take things into her own hands.

Or feet in this case. With a yell, she kicked at the door. It splintered in the middle, but didn't open. Link finished it off with a kick of his own. The two friends dove into the opening and into a dark corridor with a faint light in the distance.

"Keep going," Ilia panted. "Run!"

Despite everything, Link couldn't help but smile. "Yes, ma'am."

Ilia glanced over at him and gave him a wry, lopsided smile in return.

They ran, and as they did so, the chaotic noise they'd left behind began to fade. No owls followed. They'd even seemed to have lost the Tracker.

 _Why were there even any owls here in the first place?_

Link and Ilia slowed as they approached the light. The source was a lantern hanging from the ceiling, each motion accompanied by a metallic creak. There was a man sitting beneath on a chair. Alone, grinning. Link swallowed, and winced as the pain in his back caught up to him. A sense of unease began to spread over his heart like tar.

"You're Tingle?"

"I'm afraid not." the man replied. "There never was a Tingle. Unless you count what I'm feeling right now."

Link stepped in front of Ilia. The stranger snickered.

"That's not I meant," he said. His burning gaze dropped to Link's belt. "Nice mask. I used to sell masks, you know. The Happy Mask Salesman, they used to call me." A sudden flash of anger overtook his eyes. "Not anymore." Within an instant, his grin was back.

Link's hand hovered over the hilt of his sword. "Who are you?"

"Well, the real question is," the man replied. "Who are _you?_ Let's discuss it, shall we?"

Link's mouth went dry. "You knew we were coming."

There was a gust of air. Link and Ilia spun around to see a wall drop down with a dull thud to cut off their exit. Their looked at each other, widened eyes locked.

"Ha," the grinning man replied. "Ha-ha-ha-ha. Yes, Silver Mask, you're absolutely right. I knew you were coming. You could even say that I've been _expecting_ you."

The Smiling Man - the one who had once been known as the Happy Mask Salesman - threw back his head and laughed and laughed and laughed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"What are you doing?" Ilia asked.

Link was stood in the centre of the cell, feet slightly apart, his body loose as his eyes slowly panned around the tiny room.

"Looking," he replied in a quiet voice. "To see if he made a mistake."

"He doesn't seem the type," she said. "He's a magic user."

Link nodded in reluctance. He searched for a tell-tale sign of a crack in the walls, like a spider or a web. Two of the four walls were blank, smooth rock. Even the floor was smooth.

 _Come into my Music Parlour, said the Smiling Man to the Link._ He couldn't believe how easily he'd allowed Illy and himself to be captured. The wall had dropped and some invisible force had ribboned its way around them. Link's sword and mask had been thrown aside by those very same unseen hands. As if all that hadn't been bad enough, the black-clad minions from the library had then appeared. At the Smiling Man's command, the two of them had shoved down here to these dungeons. That had been an hour ago.

Their adjacent cells were separated by a gate of steel bars. A similar gate at the front of their cells kept them penned in from the passageway beyond. Lanterns hung out there, the only source of light for both of them.

Link found he could squeeze part of his face through the gaps between the bars, but only just. There was no chance for the rest of him to get through. Ilia's cell had a hanging curtain that she could draw across both gated walls. For her modesty, Link supposed. Odd that the Smiling Man even cared.

Ilia gazed at him through the bars. "What do you think happened to Zelda's Tracker?"

Link shrugged. "I don't know. She's not the type to give up easily."

"Perfect." Ilia leaned her head back against a wall and closed her eyes. She stood there in silence for a few moments, ankles crossed, hands behind her back. "Link?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know what it is that I've always wanted?"

Link looked back at her. _She's scared. She's trying to distract herself._

"I do, actually," he replied.

She opened her eyes. A hint of a smile played on her lips. "Go on, then."

"A horse," he said.

She blinked in surprise. "How'd you know that?"

Link smiled. "Illy, every time we used to pass the ranch in Kakariko you used to stare at that chestnut-coloured filly like you were in love."

Ilia chuckled, her cheeks tinted rose. "I was that obvious?"

Link nodded.

Ilia stood and approached the bars. Her footsteps echoed around both cells. "So if you knew that, why'd you get me that big mirror for my birthday?"

Link's smile widened. "You really want to know?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"The day before your last birthday. You were a bit…um-"

"Gosh, I remember that. I was in such a state. Birthdays are stressful, you know."

Link nodded along. "You said you didn't feel beautiful. So I thought you needed a better mirror."

There was a moment of silence before Ilia burst into a half-snort half-laugh. "You _idiot._ You big, soppy idiot."

She descended into giggles. Link couldn't help but laugh along. It was infectious.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ilia said as she reached through the bars with her hand. Link took it and squeezed. "All this time I thought _you_ thought I was vain." Peals of their combined laughter followed.

"Well, I couldn't just tell you the truth," Link said at last.

She sniffed. "About needing a better mirror…?"

"No," Link replied with a lopsided smile. "The truth that I got you a mirror because I just couldn't afford a horse."

Ilia laughed. She squeezed his hand again. "Never was a problem picking a present for you, though."

"Really?"

"Uh huh. A chair, maybe, or two. Or a bed instead of that mat you sleep on. In fact, just furniture in general."

Link shrugged. "Never was interested. Too busy at the Academy."

"Too busy." Ilia looked wistful for a moment.

It was true. He'd dedicated himself to that Academy, had ignored everything except for a weakness for pretty brothel girls. And he'd told himself that _that_ had just been stress release.

But now what…? What was he fighting for now…?

He felt a distant echo of his vision deep in his soul. A wave of something serene gently sloshed up against his heart. He looked up at Ilia. She'd always been there. Bitterness sickened his heart. She'd been there, and all the while he'd been busy exhausting himself with the local women.

 _Stress release. Who are you deluding?_

"What are you staring at?" she said.

"You're smiling again," he said quietly. "I don't want to forget it this time."

Link thought he'd gone too far again, that she'd descend into laughter once more. But all she did was allow her smile to grow even wider. Seeing that hardened his resolve.

 _Let's get you out of here, sweetheart._

Link began to move away, trying to let go of her hand. Ilia, though, held fast.

She gazed into his eyes, her voice softening when she next spoke. "You don't have to be scared of me."

Link stared back. Something deep within him dissolved, its resistance finally blown away in a gust of emotion. He drew her close to him, as much as he could with the bars between them. They were pressed up against each other. Her scent, her warmth - they intoxicated his senses. He could feel the soft thudding of her heart through their closeness.

Link reached through and cradled her chin, then lifted it gently. Of all the times he'd dreamt of this, he'd never imagined a situation like this. Sure, it'd be awkward but not impossible. Her eyes began to close as he leaned in –

"Ha," an unwelcome voice interrupted. "Ha-ha-ha-ha. How positively lovely."

Link spun around. Ilia backed away from the bars. A swirl of smoke within his cell congealed into the form of the Smiling Man. A second pillar of smoke became a chair. The Smiling Man sat down.

"So," he said, bringing his palms together in a loud clap. "What do you think? You see what I did upstairs…?" He pointed. "Zora and Hylians together having _fun_. I managed to unite the two a long way before Zelda and her sham marriage."

Link glared. "Let Ilia go."

The Smiling Man held up a hand. "Don't worry, don't worry, we'll get to that, Silver Mask. I just want you to listen to a little story, that's all."

The Smiling Man giggled. He threw a lazy glance Ilia's way. She shrank further back.

"What story?" Link asked.

"Patience, Silver Mask, patience." He craned his neck to look over at Ilia again. "Is he always like this? Ha-ha!"

Link's voice was quiet but firm. "Say your piece, Smiling Man."

"Ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha. You know me? I'm touched."

The Smiling Man stretched his legs. "Are you sitting comfortably? No? Well, I am!"

Link's mind started to drift to sun-swept Calatian beaches. He wasn't going to let this creature grate.

"So," the Smiling Man said with a smack of his lips. "I used to sell masks. I told you, right? I enjoyed it, too. I was good at it. Didn't pay much, but I was happy. Oh, it was before all this." He pointed to the rigid smile on his face. "By the way, it was me who put the little suggestion in your mask's head to come here. I have that effect on masks. Well, the sentient ones, at least. Sorry about that."

Link wasn't quite sure he believed him.

An unhinged giggle flew from the Smiling Man's lips. "I sold masks. I kept them in a little handcart and we'd go from town to town."

Link cocked his head. "We?"

"My wife, Marie. And our baby, Jon." His eyes took on a dark glaze. "Ah, Marie. The things she put up with just to be at my side. The things she sacrificed..."

Link was pacing slowly, his face blank. "Go on."

"You really have no conception of the art of storytelling, do you?" The Smiling Man sighed. "So, it was raining one day. I tried to get my cart across the road, but it got stuck in the mud. And that's when this plush, expensive carriage comes trotting along. Surrounded by armed guards."

"Princess Zelda."

"Ha. Ha-ha-ha-ha. Got it in one, Silver Mask." He stretched his legs and waggled his feet. "Sorry. Tiring day. Now where was I? Zelda, right? She was...what?...fourteen years old at the time. I was apologising for getting in their way. I mean, it's not like they couldn't have just gone _around_ me. But, no. Didn't want to get their fancy-dancy carriage dirty, I guess. And then those … _brutes_ … those guards." His chin trembled. It was an odd sight with his perpetual smile. "They started pushing Marie. Really roughly, and Jon started to cry."

Link supressed a sigh. He would have thought that he'd be used to hearing about the sins of his fellow Hylian soldiers by now. He wasn't.

The Smiling Man went on. "All the noise brought the princess out. She looked at me down her nose. That didn't bother me. I've had customers do the same. And she is royalty, after all." He composed his thoughts for a moment, stilling his body. "So I smiled. I bowed to her. And apologised.

"She wanted to know why I was keeping her from some fancy banquet. There was a prince there she'd been very eager to meet. She looked at me, looked at my smile and - these words are seared into my mind – she said 'You're so happy, ugly man. _I hope you stay like that.'_ And then her eyes glowed. Glowed green."

Link exchanged glances with Illy. His friend was listening, enraptured. He addressed the Smiling Man. "She cursed you?"

"That was it for me," the other man confirmed with a nod. "Perpetual, unending happiness. She must've done something else, because within a year both Marie and Jon were dead, and I couldn't even grieve. I just laughed. Laughed and laughed and laughed."

"She was just fourteen."

The Smiling Man snarled from within his smile. "Oh, don't use that as an excuse. You think she's changed much in the five years since? Whose side are you on?"

"I haven't taken a side." Link's voice was controlled, calm. "Yet."

"Right, right. I pleaded with people to help me, but they all turned away because that's _how people are_. I went to the castle, demanded an audience with the princess, begged for one. They threw me out. On her orders, no doubt."

The Smiling Man stopped to catch his breath. His chest was heaving. "Forgive me. I get a little emotional." He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and blew into it noisily. The chair scraped against the hard floor from the movement.

"I could've done away with myself, then," he went on. "But I thought, 'No…no, I won't give them the satisfaction. I'll take them all with me.' I bought books on magic. I travelled all over Hyrule. I learned from people that Zelda had forbidden from practising the art."

The pupils in the Smiling Man's eyes began to spin. "I found out about the Breach of Black Glass. I found out who could close it – or open it further. I even knew more than _she_ did - I knew you'd have a Silver Mask. That the mask would be your sign."

Link pressed his palms together and tapped his gloved fingers against his lips. "But she knew that you knew? About the breach, I mean?"

"Ha-ha-ha. She did. She could sense my growing power. It made her uneasy." The Smiling Man licked his lips as he leaned forward in his chair. "You know about it, right? Your mask told you? The different worlds?"

Link nodded. "It - _She_ \- said she came from one of those worlds. Someone - or something - sent her to help me. She can't recall who or what."

"Never mind that, never mind that." The Smiling Man waved away Link's words. "Did it tell you what Princess Zelda intends to do?"

Link looked up. "The princess wants to close the breach."

"Ha. Ha-ha-ha-ha. She wants to close the breach!" The Smiling Man slapped his knee. "Good one! Yes, she does. But she first wants to rid herself of every other world but her own. That's the way she is, you see. If something gets in her way - whether it's a family selling masks or a whole world - she has to snuff it out. People suffer because of beautiful little Princess Zelda. Don't think I'm the only one."

The Smiling Man slowly lifted himself out of his chair. "So, what do you say, Silver Mask? Let's work together and put the world out of its misery. I can see you're a man of integrity." He held out his hand. "What do you say?"

Link looked away. He began to pace again, deep in thought. He glanced at Illy. She was frantically nodding 'yes.'

The Smiling Man noticed the exchange. He lowered his hand. "If you want, I'll let you and your girl here go over to one of the other worlds. The breach can be closed from over there. Live out your lives. Wherever you go, it must be better than living under Zelda's rule. Listen, I'm not a bad man. I just want the suffering to end. My suffering. Everyone's suffering."

Link still didn't look back up. "You seem to know a lot."

"I know about the Cycle," the Smiling Man replied. "A miserable loop that brings no peace to anyone. The same people, over and over. The same scenarios. The exact same situations." He watched Link with careful consideration. "You could end it."

Link felt his heart tighten. It had been exactly the same thing he'd said to Illy. He and this creature were thinking along the exact same lines.

"Agree to join me," the Smiling Man went on, "and we'll finish Zelda and everything foul in the world. Agree, and I'll let you both go right now."

"Agree with him, Link," Ilia hissed from the corner of her mouth. She'd approached the bars again. "Just agree and we can _go._ "

But Link wasn't listening anymore. He stopped in his tracks. He'd had enough. Pushed and prodded this way and that, at the whim of those who thought themselves to be so high and mighty. He remembered Captain Rusl, his wholesome image a cover for the shadow cast by his fellow soldiers. Even Illy – her insistence that they go to Princess Zelda of all people, despite the fact that he'd had to endure the Game - one of the princess's creations - and had been chased by one of her best Trackers.

Link's hand curled into a fist. If no-one else was going to make a stand, then he would.

"No," he said. "The world may be broken. But it's not my place to destroy it."

The grin stayed etched on the other man's face, but a solitary vein twitched in his cheek. "Pity."

"Why should I want the world to end? Any world?"

"Ha," said the Smiling Man. "Ha-ha-ha-ha." He gave his arm a shake. A long needle-thin spike slipped out of his sleeve and dropped into his hand.

Link saw it, but didn't even have time to react, to even think. Everything happened so quickly.

The Smiling Man moved, a sudden leap, jabbing his arm through the space between the bars. His weapon sunk straight into Ilia's neck. She gasped, her spine jolting straight.

"Illy!" Link cried, reaching through to catch her in an awkward grasp as she started to slump. "Ilia…"

They both slid to the ground. With a pained expression, Ilia forced her neck to turn to face him. Her fingers grasped at his face. A tiny rivulet of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth. No words carried on Link's ragged breath; he could do nothing but stare as the light fled from her eyes. His heart crumbled.

A cackle cut through the dark mist of Link's broken thoughts.

"Why would you want the world to end?" The Smiling Man's voice boomed around the small cell. "Because now you - just like me - have absolutely _nothing_ left to live for, that's why. Ha. Ha-ha-ha-ha! _Haaa-ha-ha-ha-ha!_ "


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

It was the day of the attack. The day it had all changed.

Zelda was sitting in the temple, pretending to listen to the priest's voice as it echoed through the air. A small group of nobles were scattered about through the rest of the large hall. She herself sat on one of the benches at the front. She swung her feet like a small child. Her nursemaid Impa sat with her, wearing a scowl and a disapproving glare.

It was the temple's massive, stained-glass windows that shattered first. Fiery arrows poured in, metal tips wrapped in potion-soaked rags. The priest was the first to go down. An arrow hit him straight in the forehead. He toppled backward like a felled tree. Impa shot to her feet - and she was the next to die, her body jerking as each arrow hit.

Zelda was too stunned to even scream. She dropped to the floor. Even at thirteen years of age, she knew what this was all about. She just _knew._

There had been a drought in central Hyrule, and her father had called the races of the land together, asking that they increase their tribute for a short time to help. Everyone had agreed - everyone except a delegation from Faron that had arrived the night before. The Faronites were not going to pay a rupee more than they usually did.

Because they felt they were _better._

Her father, the King, had threatened to have them thrown into the dungeons. And this, today, was the Faronite reply.

Zelda inched her way towards the back of the temple hall, her breath already ragged. Screams cut the air, both close and distant. She winced as broken shards of glass cut through her hands and slit her dress at the knees. Zelda looked up. There was a secret door right beside the main entrance. It led straight up to her mother's private chambers. The Queen, being of the devout sort, had insisted on such a convenience.

The princess dragged herself onward, one palm in front of the air. Her hands left a crimson trail behind her. She touched something. It took her a moment to realise what.

Her path blocked by a noblewoman's corpse. Open-mouthed, tears burned Zelda's eyes. She moved around it as quickly as she could. Her mother's words came back to her, imparted long ago when the Queen had been angry with her husband for some misdemeanour that a young Zelda hadn't understood.

 _It's us women,_ her mother had said, _that have to take the brunt of the madness of men. Never forget._

She wouldn't.

Zelda was shaking by the time she reached the archway that led to the outside world. Sunlight poured in through the opening. She had to cross it to get to her mother's doorway. Zelda looked over that way - and gasped.

It was a little boy - more a baby, really. He was crawling through the debris, searching, his face close to tears. He spotted her, and smiled with a gurgle. Zelda's heart turned to ice. The baby began to move her way, chubby arms and legs in motion. Zelda's stomach coiled into a painful knot. She shook her head in panic. _Stop! Stop_! The baby thought she was funny.

Zelda looked down at her trembling hands. Sparks of green light flickered into life from her fingertips, then died just as quickly as they had appeared. She hadn't yet been fully trained in her magic. She didn't know if she could do it. She might never -

Zelda heard the creak of a bowstring. Her doubts melted away.

Bringing herself shakily to her feet, she took a deep breath. And then moved.

Zelda screamed as she ran across toward the baby, turning as she crossed the archway, her bloodstained hands shooting blobs of magical energy that flew this way and that. It worked, though. She heard arrows shatter, heard the curses of the Faronite soldiers.

Zelda scooped the baby up and hugged him close. She kicked open the secret door - it was hidden behind a lavish, purple drape - and ran up the stone stairs as the door slammed shut behind her. She reached the landing and stopped.

Zelda's heart thudded, each beat loud and painful. The door to her mother's chamber stood slightly ajar. Her mouth went dry. The baby gurgled happily in her numb arms. Zelda's legs began to shake yet again. Biting her lower lip, Zelda pushed the door open with her foot.

It was the eyes she noticed first. Blank. Staring.

Lifeless.

Then the blood. And all the daggers sticking out at every angle from her mother's body. Wind whistled through a broken window.

A sob broke free as Zelda fell to her knees. The baby started to cry. She herself could do nothing except throw back her head and let fly with a long, mournful wail.

* * *

The days that followed were a dark blur. Her father sat slumped on the throne, too broken-hearted to speak or eat. Zelda had watched him in silence from the floor of the Throne Room. Once Sahasrahla had approached him, saying in a small but firm voice. "External threats are everywhere, sire. We must not appear weak."

Zelda had taken those words to heart.

She remembered standing on the rain-swept docks, Sahasrahla holding her firmly by the shoulders as the Hylian navy, with her father at the head, set sail. She remembered when he had returned to the castle a few weeks later.

"It is done," was all he had said.

No-one ever spoke of the country of Faron again.

The year that followed was full of tantrums, tears and an intolerance for even the slightest setback. She sought to fill the emptiness by attending banquets and courting handsome princes from neighbouring lands.

They never could.

Once the bitter anger had faded to a dull but constant ache, she had made a vow. She would never call herself Queen. That was for her mother alone. She would loathe to be addressed as so. When the king passed and power was placed in her hands, those unfortunate to forget usually found themselves having a three-day visit to the dungeons.

Princess Zelda she would forever be.

* * *

"Princess Zelda?" said Sahasrahla. "Highness, what do you think?"

She blinked back into the present. The old man cradled a small orb in his wrinkled hands. It was aglow with swirling crimson light and cast a scarlet shadow over Zelda's face.

She took in a deep, cool breath before replying. "This is it?"

Sahasrahla nodded. "It is."

They were in the Castle Gardens, surrounded by an explosion of colour as myriad flowers came into bloom. Sahasrahla stood before the princess as she sat on a bench, her legs curled under her. The warmth of the sun caressed her face.

Her oldest advisor broke the silence. "The finest wizards in the world worked on it. Plus your blood, of course."

The princess self-consciously touched the tip of her left thumb. It hadn't hurt. They'd only needed a drop. "Will it work?"

Sahasrahla shrugged. "There's no way of testing it, of course. Once we open the breach, we put this through. The power of the breach will ignite it, and – hopefully – the concentrated magic within will expand. And keep on expanding, consuming everything, until there's nothing left except us." He looked up at her. "It is your blood that ensures our safety."

"Once we open the breach…" Zelda repeated in a small voice. "Any word from Midna?"

Sahasrahla shook his head. "She hasn't reported in. Very unusual for her."

Zelda stood up. "Thank you, Sahasrahla."

"Very good, Highness," he replied. "I will keep the Dragmire safe for now."

The princess raised an eyebrow. "The Dragmire…?"

"Ah." He looked sheepish. "Just a name from ancient history. I felt it was fitting."

Zelda gave him a flat smile. Sahasrahla was obsessed with studying the distant history of Hyrule. He'd once given her a three-hour lecture on some power source known as the Triforce. She'd humoured him, of course. If it wasn't for his studies, her late father - and then Zelda herself – would never have learned about the Breach of Black Glass.

With a curt nod, Zelda turned away, dismissing him. "Keep me informed."

As she walked through the gardens, her nose twitching at the over-sweet scents, she pondered. Her heart felt tight, like it was tarred with something dark and gloomy. The Smiling Man's words came back to her: _Are you doubting yourself?_

Birds tweeted as she passed by. Zelda didn't like this feeling. The sooner this whole sorry mess was over, the better. She decided to direct her thoughts elsewhere – like to this stranger, Link. All that time searching and the warrior she'd been looking for had been under her nose all along.

She had a dim view of most soldiers - the Faronites had taught her that - and knew much about the nature of her own. She'd tried to instil some sort of code for them to follow: no maiming, no torture, no pleasure in the kill, but only exceptional people like Rusl had even given it a second thought.

They were blunt instruments to be used and nothing more. She imagined this Link was no better. Zelda wasn't sure if it was the Red Potion that made them that way, or if that was their natural state – she didn't know, and right now she just didn't care. She needed Link.

The princess reached a spiral staircase that led back into the castle. She ascended, her hand trailing along the white-painted rail. Once Zelda stepped into the coolness of the castle, she headed towards her chambers.

The whispers that flitted through the castle's corridors came back to her now – _There she goes again, back to her room. Best place for her being a woman._

The whispers didn't matter to her. As a Harkinian she was untouchable.

They'd be shocked if they knew what she did there. Make-up, expensive jewellery, lavish dresses - all the things the people thought she had little interest in at all. Her chamber was her sanctuary, and she hated sharing it with Ralis, but she had to keep up appearances.

A frown creased her smooth face when she reached her door. Her guards were nowhere to be seen. She looked left and right down the passageway – deserted. With narrowed eyes, she gave the door a gentle push and stepped inside.

They moved fast. One of them slammed the door shut behind her. The other two peeled out of the shadows. All three were Zora.

Zelda looked at each one in turn. "What is the meaning of this?"

The tallest of the Zora bowed, his face twisted in a mocking grin. "Queen Zelda," he said. "An honour."

" _Princess._ "

"Ah," he replied. "My apologies."

Zelda glared. "What do you want?"

"Merely to intercede for our long-suffering prince."

"Long-suffering?" She stifled a laugh.

"Why, yes," the Zora replied, holding out his palms as though in prayer. "He has suffered. Suffered from not tasting the sweet touch of his wife."

Zelda cast cautious glances around the room, noting the position of all three men.

"Your silence tells me that you realise your guilt," the pale-skinned man went on.

The princess spoke through gritted teeth. "Is that so?"

"But do not worry, fair one," he replied. "There is a tradition amongst the Zora. One that will solve all our problems."

"I'm listening."

"It goes like this: If, after a certain period of time, a marriage has not been consummated then, ah, how do I put this...? So embarrassing. The husband's best friends have to...ah...break the wife in, so to say."

"Interesting," Zelda replied in a blank voice. "I don't recall that particular custom in my studies of the Zora." She flexed her fingers."And I suppose you three are Ralis's best friends...?"

"Guilty as charged, princess," the lead Zora replied with a mock-bow. "Friends. Brothers. Call us what you like." He grinned at the other two. They shared in his mirth. "We are but humble warriors doing the prince's bidding as we climb each and every stage on our way to becoming his Elite Guard."

"Really," said Zelda. "And at what stage are you now...? Barely adequate...?"

The Zora snarled, all pretence of civility falling away. "You are wrong about the prince," he spat. "You think him weak. You didn't think him capable of this, did you? You are wrong. Admit it!"

"I'm never wrong," she said, digging her heels into the floor. "Just right in the opposite direction."

A lecherous grin spread across the lead Zora's face. "I think I am going to enjoy this. I think we all will, boys."

The second Zora nodded."Now what's it going to be?" He cracked his knuckles. "Easy or difficult? Yes or no?"

The third stepped forward. "Just say the word, girl. Just say the word."

Zelda looked at them in turn once again. Her mouth curled into a cold smile. She threw up her hands and blasted the lead Zora with a wave of pure, emerald energy. His body shattered, caught up in the maelstrom like a ragged puppet. Terror exploded on the faces of the other two Zora.

Zelda turned on her heel and snapped her left hand shut into a fist. A flash of green followed. The second Zora screamed as he was engulfed in a twisting ribbon of red flame. The cry died in an instant. He dissolved into a pile of smoking ash.

The last Zora cowered, trembling on the floor. Zelda walked over to him with her usual grace and poise. Her fingertips buzzed with crackling energy. She stood over him and looked down, her figure framed in an outline of golden sunlight pouring in from a window behind her.

"Go run to Ralis," Princess Zelda whispered. She leaned down slowly. The Zora whimpered. "Oh, and by the way...?" she said. "The word is no, boy _._ The word is no."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Something didn't feel right. The insistent sensation throbbed at the base of Princess Zelda's spine. Anticipation or dread, she couldn't tell which. Something was coming.

 _Or someone._

She was in her chambers - as usual - and Ralis was standing on the opposite side of the room, his chest heaving as he seethed. He couldn't even look at her. A glass table stood between them. Zelda had taken a fancy to it and had bought it on a whim.

"You killed them," Ralis spat. "You killed my friends."

"You let them into my room," Zelda countered. "How am I supposed to feel safe in my own castle when my husband does a thing like that...?"

An incredulous look crossed the prince's face. Now he did turn to face her. "How are _you_ supposed to feel safe?! How is _anyone_ supposed to feel safe when you can blast them into oblivion at a moment's notice?"

"They shouldn't have threatened me."

Ralis clenched and unclenched his fists. Zelda didn't flinch - favouring him with a cool stare instead.

"I'm going back home," the prince said at last. "My mother will hear of this."

"Go, then."

She was done with his company, appearances be damned. Ralis glared at her one last time, then stormed out of the room. The door slammed shut behind him, setting the frame into a shiver.

 _And good riddance._

Yet still Zelda couldn't shake this feeling that she was on the verge of discovering something very important. She glanced out her window. All she saw were green hills kissed by the sun's light.

Zelda shook her head and turned away.

* * *

Link curled his finger around the trigger of the crossbow. He was laying flat on the grass on a hill that overlooked Hyrule Castle. The gentle breeze played with his hair, the crushed grass beneath poked through his clothes. His dark green attire blended into the undergrowth.

Now he understood what Captain Rusl had said about trying to find the balance between calm and alertness. Feelings churned within him - his soul drowning in a stormy ocean of pain, momentarily coming up for a gasp of serenity, then going under again. Decades of Red Potion bubbled in his veins. He felt the emotions, but didn't allow himself to be drawn into them. He was blind to his own thoughts.

After all, he was nothing now. Just an arrow on the bowstring of destiny.

The Smiling Man had been true to his word -Link had been free to go. He'd cast a spell on Link as he'd sat there cradling Ilia that knocked him clean out. When Link had next awoken he found himself outside Kakariko with his sword, mask and a satchel with his grey cloak and a pouch of gold coins inside. There was a note, too, hastily scribbled: 'You know what to do.'

He'd tried to go back to find the Music Parlour, but the strange magical door was gone. Not even the 'T' that had been marked there remained.

Link couldn't recall how long he'd walked In a daze - it could have been hours, it could've even been days. Eventually, something had hardened deep inside his soul. His resolve had solidified. He remembered words Captain Rusl had once said: _Sometimes you have to have your heart broken into tiny pieces before you can build something great from the ruins._

Link had purchased a self-loading crossbow – similar to the type he'd borrowed in the library – some twine, and a mini telescope. With the twine, he tied the scope to the top of the crossbow.

Now here he lay, perfectly still, one eye closed, one eye peering into the scope.

Princess Zelda was in his sights. She was alone in her bedchamber in one of the middle floors of the castle's main tower. She'd just stopped to look out her window, then turned away with a shake of her head to begin pacing back and forth. Some part of him, some of his old self, marvelled at her beauty. Link crushed the sentiment.

He pulled the trigger.

The owl that had been sitting on the edge Zelda's window ledge took the bolt full force, then toppled forward, spinning over and over in the air before landing in the castle's moat with a dull splash.

Princess Zelda didn't even notice.

Link stood up. He unhooked the Silver Mask from his belt, slipped it over his face. From the satchel the Smiling Man had left for him, Link pulled out his grey cloak, put it on, and lifted the hood.

' _I would like it on record that I am worried about you,'_ Fi projected.

' _Your concern is noted.'_

' _Really. You're scaring me.'_

Link didn't reply. He closed his mind down from Fi's intrusions, closed it off, too, from the sharp cuts of memories past. It was all so easy now. He didn't have to extinguish what he felt. He just had to stand apart from it all.

Link dropped the satchel and strode down the hill toward the castle. Much like he had when entering the Kakariko amphitheatre, Link slipped into the crowd of people heading over the drawbridge. The murmur of voices seemed distant, like they were all speaking from behind a wall of thick glass.

His boots thudded on the shivering oak. Link cast a glance over the side of the bridge. The dead owl bobbed up and down on the surface of the moat as the slow current took it away.

If the people found it odd that someone was wearing a mask, they didn't show it – after all, nobles of all sorts came to the castle, though most had no business further than the outer courtyard.

A gloved hand blocked Link's path just as he reached the entrance. He didn't react.

"Friend," the guard said. "Open your cloak."

Link did so. The guard's face darkened.

"That's some serious gear you've got there." He beckoned to one of his companions, then turned back to Link. "Hand them over to Jay."

Link unhooked his sword and crossbow and gave them to the other guard.

"Not taking off your mask?" the first guard said.

Link said nothing.

The guard shrugged. "Suit yourself." He turned to his companion. "Take this one to the Sarge. Weapons violation."

Jay threw Link a resentful look. "Follow me," he spat, scowling.

They rejoined the crowd as they entered the outer courtyard. Here stalls were set up for the wealthier clientele of Hyrule, selling goods of a far better quality than what you'd get down in Castleton Market. Guards patrolled the area. Link didn't know any of them, and they wouldn't recognise him in return – the guards were on a rung lower than his former friends at the Academy. His mask was for the benefit of those selfsame friends. He didn't want to run into anyone he knew.

Link glanced up, spotted an owl on one of the parapets, and tugged hard on his hood. Jay led him to a metal gate flecked with rust. Another guard waited there.

Jay spat."This one's for the Sarge."

The other guard nodded and opened the gate. Now they were in the inner courtyard. It was a lot cleaner here. A fountain gurgled a soothing rhythm of gushing water. They turned left heading toward the main tower. Link's eyes traced the shape of the tall, pale building, then stopped at one particular window. The princess's chamber.

Jay called for a halt at the foot of the steps that led to the tower's iron door.

Link looked around, soaking in every sight, every position. Apart from the two of them, the inner courtyard was empty.

Just as he had anticipated.

"Right," said Jay as he scratched the stubble on his chin. "You wait. The Sarge is right in -"

Link's palm shot out and struck Jay in the chest just above his heart. The young guard stumbled backward. Link waded in - a left, then a right, and Jay went down. Link crouched and retrieved his weapons, then swiftly stood back up. He raised the crossbow, cradling it with both hands as he looked through the scope once more and trotted up the steps.

' _What are you doing?'_ Fi demanded.

Link ignored her.

He nudged the door open. It screeched on rusted hinges. Once the gap was wide enough, he slipped through. Another guard was sitting there - the Sarge, judging by his uniform - reading a scroll. His eyes snapped up.

"Hey!" he barked. "You're not supposed to –"

"Up," said Link. He trained the crossbow on the man's chest. Another door was set at the other side of the small, dark alcove. Link gestured toward it. "Unlock the door."

The man took a shaky step to his feet. He looked from Link to the door and then back to Link, hesitation and doubt written clearly all over his face.

" _Now_!"

"Please," the Sarge said, holding up his palms. "I have a daughter."

Link reached him in just a few quick steps. He spun the guard around and pressed the sharp tip of the bolt into the back of the man's neck.

The Sarge whimpered. "She's only three."

Link pressed harder.

"Alright, alright!" the Sarge cried. He began stumbling toward the door. His trembling hands took out the key from his pocket. "Just three," he whispered. "Please."

"Open it."

The Sarge slipped the key into the lock and turned. A soft click followed. The door opened to reveal a staircase.

Link lowered the crossbow, then grabbed the man by the shoulder. He spun him back around, and then stunned him with a headbutt. Link followed with a swift jab to the throat with his free hand. The Sarge slumped to the ground.

"You'll see her again." Link's voice sounded strange in his own ears. Stripped raw - more a croak than his usual tone. He hooked the crossbow back onto his belt and took off the Silver Mask. No need to hide his face now.

As Link began his climb up the winding stairs, he didn't notice the sound of the iron door creaking open again, and definitely didn't see the small figure with the oversized helmet step inside.

* * *

Captain Rusl stood to attention, his hands clasped behind his back. "Highness...?"

"I said have there been any reports of anything unusual?" Zelda drummed her fingers on the window sill. The strange feeling was gnawing at her now.

"No, Your Highness," Rusl replied. "Nothing."

"When did you last check in with your sergeants?"

Rusl shrugged. "About twenty minutes ago," he said. "The next check is in ten."

"Check _now."_

* * *

Link had been watching the tower for a few days. He knew that a series of landings divided the stairway on its way up. The landings, in turn, each opened out on to one of the castle's corridors. A pair of men stood guard on each landing. Link met the first duo head-on.

Link dived into the first guard, slamming him into the stairs. On his feet again in an instant and Link was met with a swing by the second. Link jerked his head out of the way, and the punch shattered the window behind.

Link grabbed the man's arm, and threw him spinning over his shoulder. The guard slid down the stairs, yelling. His partner was still writhing on the floor, groaning. A stomp to the head knocked him out.

Shouts rang out in the courtyard. They'd discovered Jay, then. Link broke into a sprint. The second pair of guards were already coming down, alerted by all the noise.

Link didn't even stop. His lungs burned as he ran, the muscles in his legs tense. He hit the first guard in the stomach doubling him over, and knocked him out with a sharp elbow to the back of the head. The second was already diving toward him. Link tried to meet his charge, but the guard caught him and slammed him up against the wall. The man grabbed the front of Link's tunic and swung him around to slam him against the opposite wall.

Link gasped for air, blinking fast. The guard grinned at his discomfort. He pulled back his arm for a punch - when Link snatched the Silver Mask up from his belt just as the swing came in. The man howled in pain and took a step back. Link swung the mask and clocked the guard around the head. The man still didn't go down.

Link hissed in frustration. He flipped the mask around and pushed it hard against the guard's face, then struck, jabbing the mask three times in quick succession. When Link pulled the mask away, the man looked dazed but very much conscious.

So conscious, in fact, that he attempted a lunge - and that was when Link took his chance. He cracked the guard in the chin with a high kick. _Now_ he went down.

Link glanced down at his mask, his face grim. "Sorry," he mumbled.

The shouts outside grew more urgent. It didn't matter. Link was where he wanted to be. He turned off the landing into the adjoining passageway, then ran.

Zelda could hear some commotion outside. The guards were in a panic about something. She felt a tight grip on her heart. She knew - _knew -_ that this was linked to what she'd felt before. She peered out of her window - and then heard her bedroom door shut behind her with a metallic click.

Zelda spun around, her eyes darting here and there. Who had done that...?

"Ralis...?"

No-one replied.

She began to creep cautiously forward, her neck craning as she searched. The lush carpeted floor tickled the soles of her bare feet. There was a part of her room that the sun never reached, one corner cloaked in shadow.

Zelda stepped toward it, her mouth dry.

"Hello...?" Her eyes narrowed as she peered -

And then she stopped.

He stepped out of the shadows, aiming a crossbow straight at her. Zelda took a step backward. Another. The stranger followed her in exact time. He wasn't saying a thing. The back of her knees hit the edge of her new glass table. Not taking his eyes of his face, she made her way around so that the table stood between her and him.

Now she could stand her ground. She called on the whirlpool of magical energy she held within and flexed her fingers in anticipation - but then something made her pause.

His eyes. They were haunted, broken.

"Hello, Princess Zelda," the stranger said in a voice barely higher than a harsh whisper. "My name is Link."

They stared at each other, their gazes locked. A sudden wave of goosebumps made Zelda's skin prickle.

And that was when Midna's sleep dart spun through the air and struck Link in the neck. He swayed for a moment, the crossbow slipping out of his hand, then fell, the glass table shattering under his weight.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Take him to the Throne Room," said Zelda. She took careful steps to avoid the shards of broken glass. "Tie him up. No guards."

Captain Rusl nodded. He grabbed Link under the arms and began to slide his prone body out. Sahasrahla was there, too, wringing his hands.

No guards. They didn't need to know, just her, Rusl and Sahasrahla. A secret between friends, as the common folk would say - but her father had taught Zelda that a monarch had no friends. Just underlings.

Zelda slipped her feet into a pair of flats. She took a long look around her chamber.

Midna had vanished. According to Rusl, that was the Imp's habit. A shame. Zelda wasn't sure whether to thank her or rebuke her. Obviously, the Imp had rescued her, but to wait until the very last minute was downright unacceptable. Sahasrahla had told her only moments ago that Midna tended to have a flair for the dramatic, a side-effect of her Red Potion usage.

Speaking of her old advisor, he was still standing at the doorway to her chamber.

"What is it?"

The old man looked up with red-rimmed eyes. "Princess."

That made her heart catch. He never called her that, not on its own anyway. It was either 'Your Highness or, if he was getting impatient with her, her full title of 'Princess Zelda.'

"What is it, Sahasrahla?" she asked in a soft, quiet voice.

He didn't seem able to keep his hands still in his anxiety. "Do you recall the town of Larn...? Population of fifteen-hundred...?"

Zelda pursed her lips and shook her head. "No."

Sahasrahla swallowed. "Exactly," he said. "It no longer exists."

Zelda's heart felt like a block of ice. "The breach...?"

Her old advisor could only nod in reply.

 _My people. Erased. Not even remembered._

"I see," she said.

Zelda kept a careful hold over her expression. Her resolve grew. _Enough is enough._

"Well," she said. "It seems we have been presented with an opportune moment."

Zelda strode with purpose down the passageway to her Throne Room, itself held up by the thick central pillars of the castle's main tower. When she reached it, she found Link still unconscious and sat slumped on a chair, his hands tied behind his back. On a table in front of him, Rusl had placed the silver mask, Link's sword and Link's crossbow. Sahasrahla took the Dragmire out of his cloak and slid it across the table next to the other items. It throbbed with its unnatural scarlet light.

Link began to stir in his seat. So this was him, then. He was, Zelda had to admit, quite handsome. She didn't chase that thought, though. Such things had been drummed out of her at a young age. Another lesson from her father: _Don't get wrapped up in your own emotions. The noble path of truth is to live for something greater than yourself._

And, besides, she was a married woman now.

Link returned to full alertness with surprising speed. He looked at them in turn with a sullen glare.

"We've been looking for you," Zelda said, her voice soft, yet still managing to echo around the cavernous chamber. "If you'd told the guards who you were, we could have avoided all this."

It wasn't exactly true - given that the castle guards knew nothing about any of this - but she still wanted him to feel humbled.

Link blinked, but said nothing.

Zelda breathed in deep. "Are you here to help?"

Captain Rusl's face turned sour. "He pointed a crossbow at you, Highness."

"I want to hear what he has to say," Zelda replied. She addressed Link again. "Well?"

Still nothing.

"Answer the princess!" Rusl snapped. "That's an order, soldier!"

Link looked at the captain for a moment, then turned back to Zelda.

She pressed on. "You know what you have to do?" Zelda asked. "What all this means?"

There was the slightest hint of a nod from the young man.

"Good," the princess replied. "We can get you to the Breach of Black Glass. You'll close it, of course." She picked up the Dragmire. "But only after you drop this through first. You don't need to know what it is."

Link looked at it with a lazy sort of interest. She slipped it into a pocket in her dress.

Sahasrahla spoke up. "The breach is just a crack now. You'll have to open it wider to put the stone in. I'm sure once you get there, you'll know how."

Princess Zelda cleared her throat. "Sahasrahla here tells me that I have lost over a thousand of my people to the breach on this day alone."

Link's eyes widened slightly at that. Zelda felt a sense of satisfaction. Now she had him.

"I'm willing to forgive you for your earlier…indiscretion," she said. In her softest and gentlest voice she added, "Will you help us, Link? Will you be my champion and save Hyrule?"

He looked at each of them in turn again. Then, with a long sigh, his face sunk in defeat. He nodded in affirmation.

An equally slow, long breath whistled out of Zelda's lips. She closed her eyes for a long moment. This would soon be all over.

"Untie him."

"At once, Your Highness," Rusl replied. He pulled a dagger from his belt and cut Link's binds. The young man stood, rubbing his wrists.

Rusl was smiling now."If the princess forgives you, then so do I." His eyes brimmed with tears. The captain held out a hand. "Welcome back, son."

Link smiled in return, and shook the captain's hand with his right.

Everything that unfolded next happened so fast that Zelda could barely catch her breath.

Link yanked Rusl close and slammed his left forearm into the older man's face. Letting go of Rusl's hand, Link hit him with a jab with his right that knocked the captain straight out. Link spun around, took a few steps, grabbed Sahasrahla by the head and drove him into the table.

Zelda was rooted to the spot, stunned. Link pressed his palms into the tabletop, then leapt over it, sweeping his crossbow up as he did so. Zelda gasped as she felt Link spin her around by twisting her arm behind her. Cold, sharp metal pressed into the small of her back.

His voice whispered in her right ear. "You use magic," he said. "Can you teleport us to the breach?"

"That's not how it-" She stopped herself. No time for long explanations. "No."

"How far can you take us?"

Zelda thought for a moment. "Just to the Royal Stables."

"Wait."

She felt his grip loosen slightly. Judging from the noise he was making, he was collecting all his things. The painful tightness returned to her arm.

"Let's go," he said.

Princess Zelda closed her eyes and drew on her magic. She hated teleporting. It drained her energy - both physical and magical. She felt reality stretch. There was a sudden change in the air. Zelda opened her eyes. They were in the stables.

There was a horse and cart directly in front of them. "Get in," said Link.

Zelda hesitated, ready to refuse. He pointed his crossbow at her.

"I said, get in."

Zelda grit her teeth. She placed her hand on one of the large wooden wheels, grimacing at the dirt she felt there, and pulled herself into the right side of the wooden bench at the front. Link slid into the driver's seat and picked up the reigns.

" _Ya!"_ he cried.

With a sudden jolt, the cart began to roll. Zelda's eyes felt heavy. The teleportation was starting to take its toll. She was tossed to and fro as the cart trundled onward and both rows of her teeth banged into the other - this was hardly the type of carriage she was used to.

Zelda's eyes widened as she saw the stable doors approach. "Wait!" she cried. "They're not open wide en-"

"Hold on," said Link, a tremor of uncertainty in his voice. "This might be a little tight."

Link kicked at the horse. It sprang into a gallop. Zelda's heart sank as she saw the doors bob up and down in her vision. They drew closer and closer. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Wood splintered. Zelda felt a jolt run through her whole body. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Link leaning to one side, straining as he pulled the reins to drive the horse to the right. The wheel on Zelda's side lifted up, spinning, as they flew into the turn. Zelda screamed.

Shouts now chased them down through the castle's outer courtyard. Zelda heard her name mentioned and then the sound of a shrill whistle. Another noise followed - a metallic groan. She looked up. They were trying to raise the drawbridge. Her heart spiked with painful thuds. There were people still on the bridge - and Link, teeth bared with his head down, was driving them straight toward it.

Zelda grabbed the side of the cart. Her skin blanched.

 _This man is insane!_

They reached the bridge. It had barely raised a foot. Zelda saw panicked faces fly by, heard her name whispered again. She heard a series of splashes, too - those unlucky enough had ended up in the moat.

The horse leapt over the small gap. When they landed, a jolt of pain shot up Zelda's spine and the roots of her teeth stung. Her aching head spun. She felt nauseous.

Now she began to seethe, her chest heaving. If he wasn't so important, she would have destroyed this Link when he'd dared to lay a finger on her in the Throne Room. As it was, once all this done, she would -

Zelda caught a glimpse of his eyes again. The pain swimming within them struck her in a way she couldn't quite comprehend. All thoughts of revenge melted away.

The sound of galloping horses made her look up and behind. Hylian soldiers mounted on snorting stallions were approaching fast. Zelda's heart surged as her men flanked the cart on either side.

Zelda snapped around to face Link. "It's over," she said with a triumphant grin. "You better stop."

"Good thinking."

Link pulled back on the reins hard. The horse reared up mid-gallop, its back legs straining, the cart swinging back. Zelda screamed again. The two soldiers shot past them.

The cart hit the ground. Link released the reins, swung his crossbow up and fired once, twice. The first bolt hit one of the soldiers on the shoulder, knocking him straight off his ride. The second grazed the other man's flank. He doubled over, slumping over his horse.

Link picked up the reins and set the horse off into a gallop. The vast, green expanse of Hyrule Field beckoned. The princess fought to slow her breathing and calm her pounding heart.

Now another thunder of hooves approached from their right. Zelda glanced over her shoulder and saw an armoured cart drawn by a pair of horses and manned by two of her soldiers. They were gaining, dirt churning into the air behind them. Zelda could even see the steam shooting from the horses' nostrils.

Link saw them, too. He pulled their horse into a swerve just as the soldiers caught up. The constant thud of hooves and wheels drummed into Zelda's ears. They were neck-and-neck now. Their pursuers followed through by ramming their armoured cart into them. Zelda was thrown to the side, her head hitting Link's shoulder.

She threw herself back up, glowering over at her would-be rescuers, and hissed, " _What_ are you _doing_?"

The soldiers shrank back from that. It was the distraction Link needed - he raised his crossbow, arm outstretched directly in front of the princess, and fired. The bolt sliced through their pursuer's reins.

A crashing explosion of wood and screams followed. Zelda jerked away, squinting as splinters sprayed the side of her face. A solitary wheel rolled ahead of them, bouncing all the way.

With a kick, Link set them galloping away from Kakariko, Castleton and Hyrule Castle.

* * *

An hour passed. They didn't keep to the main path. Link took the cart down the forest way where it rocked with violence over the stone and twig-strewn terrain. The sky was bruised red - sunset would soon be approaching.

Zelda had her arms crossed. She stewed in silence. Her aching back and bruised limbs felt every bump the cart took. She was exhausted, too, and her magic was still low.

Link pulled the reins awkwardly. The horse responded with an angry snort. The cart jumped, and Zelda felt herself leave her seat for a moment.

She turned to glare. "Do you actually know how to drive a horse and cart?"

A sheepish look hung from his face that made him look - for the first time since she'd met him - momentarily human. "Just the basics. Horse riding wasn't my strongest subject at the Academy."

"This was your plan all along?" she said. "To kidnap me?"

"They're going to come after me," he replied. "You're my insurance that they take things cautiously."

"How were you expecting to get away…?" she said. After a moment's thought, she added, "You always planned to get the stables, didn't you? If I couldn't take you to the breach…?"

Link didn't reply.

Burning anger chafed her. He needed the stables, and her powers could only take him to that one place. Whose side was fate on? She couldn't keep her cool. "You'll hang for this."

Again, Link said nothing.

Zelda kept pressing. "Rusl will send Midna,"

"The Tracker?"

The princess nodded. "She caught you once."

Nothing.

"You don't talk much."

Silence met her yet again. Zelda sighed as she swayed side to side from the motion of the cart. An owl hooted somewhere in the forest. For some reason, Link tensed up.

"So," said Zelda in another attempt to goad him into speaking. "Back at the castle. You struck the captain. I was led to believe you looked up to him."

"That was the old me."

Zelda felt sick at heart at the only conclusion she could come up with. "You've joined the Smiling Man."

This time his response was quick. "No."

"You've met him?"

"I wish I hadn't."

This time it was Zelda who lapsed into silence. She wasn't quite sure what to make of that, and didn't think he'd respond if she asked. Zelda studied Link's face for a long moment. "So what _do_ you want?"

"I'm closing the breach. Looks like that's all I'm good for." He glanced over at her. "And I'm not putting your little magic rock through."

Zelda hadn't realised that she still had it. Her hand dropped to where it lay in her pocket. She could feel the Dragmire's dark energy pulse through the fabric. That was something, at least.

"How far do you think you're going to get?" she asked. "I'll be recognised."

He reached for his belt, then threw her a dagger. It was Rusl's - Link must have picked it up in the chaos in the Throne Room. "Cut your hair."

Zelda cocked her head. "Excuse me?"

"Do it!"

There was a slight quiver to his voice that told Zelda that acting like this wasn't in his true nature.

Still. She wasn't used to being ordered about. Zelda turned the dagger over in her hands. The dull, red light of the late-afternoon sun reflected off of the steel. "You've just given me a weapon."

"You need me," he replied. "We both know that." He motioned at her head. "Cut it. We'll get you new clothes at the next village." Link glanced at her. "And dye for your hair. Until then you'll wear my cloak. We'll stock up on food, too. And I need more bolts for my crossbow."

"You can pay for all that?"

No reply.

Zelda sighed again. She grabbed a handful of her long, golden hair and got to work.

 _This better be worth it. I'll put the Dragmire in myself if I have to. I just have to make this lout open the breach wide enough._

The air cooled as the sun descended. Birds sang. The wheels of the cart shuddered over the rough ground. Zelda and the dagger cut with a rhythmic sawing.

"Tell me," said Link, startling her by actually initiating a conversation. "How exactly do we get to the Breach of Black Glass?"

The princess paused mid-cut. She blinked, pondering as she put her thoughts into order. With a deep breath, Zelda looked up at Link.

And told him.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

It was damp down here. Damp and cold, with water dripping from the tunnel ceiling. It went without saying that this was the least glamorous part of the castle. No carpets, no decorations - some might even say that the dungeons were an improvement. Not Captain Rusl, though. And not Shad, the young genius that lived down here.

Rusl sat at a round table flanked by Sahasrahla and Prince Ralis. Shad's chamber had a high ceiling, and lanterns hung from long, twisting cords. They cast light on a room littered with scrolls, bottles and pipes, both on the shelves and across the floor.

Rusl was used to the mess. "Where will he take her?"

"Snowpeak, of course" Sahasrahla replied. "To the breach."

A bored looking Prince Ralis spoke up. "I thought you said the breach wasn't in a physical place….?"

"And I thought you said you were leaving," Rusl countered. He really didn't want any outsiders here in Hylian business. Plus, his face still throbbed from where Link had hit him. He still couldn't believe that. All in all, he wasn't in a very good mood.

"I was," said Ralis. "And then all this madness broke out." A stray bottle rolled under the table. It crunched under his boot. "As it is, she is my wife and I have a right to be here. Who knows what that brute is doing to her? Taking what is rightfully mine, no doubt."

Rusl's voice turned icy. "I sincerely doubt that. I know Link. And, more, I know the princess."

The Zora prince sneered. "You know her, do you?" he said."It seems everyone knows my wife except me."

"Enough."

"And did you know this Link well enough to realise he would stoop to doing something like this?"

Rusl banged his fist on the table. "I said enough!"

Ralis bristled. "Remember who you're talking to, _Captain_."

"Gentlemen, please," said Sahasrahla, holding up a hand. "We don't have the luxury to bicker." He waited until both men held their tongues. A chill descended when he spoke next. "There is sacred ground on Snowpeak. Ground where Harkinian blood was shed. A temple stands there. Ancient, deserted."

Prince Ralis, his chin resting in his palm, tapped a finger against his cheek. "And this will take him to the breach?"

Sahasrahla shook his head. "No. The boy has a task. An act of pure kindness. That will shift his soul into the Sacred Realm, where the barrier between worlds lies, and where he will find the Breach of Black Glass."

Captain Rusl felt uncomfortable listening to all this. He was just a soldier; these things were beyond him. The cold seemed to seep into his skin. He hoped it was just his imagination.

Prince Ralis, on the other hand, barked off a shrill laugh.

"An act of pure kindness?" he spat. "Fairy tale nonsense. Who makes these rules? Anyone could do that. This Sacred Realm must be full of adventurers by now."

"Only if they know how," Rusl answered in a quiet voice. "And if they could find the temple in the first place" He turned to Sahasrahla. "What have we told the people?"

"That the princess is ill, and won't be available for a while."

"And the witnesses when she was kidnapped?"

Sahasrahla shrugged. "It wasn't her they saw. The common folk are easily led and the guards know better than to open their mouths. In the meantime, we have sent the boy's pictograph out by bird all over Hyrule."

The captain rubbed the bristles on his chin. "He'll disguise himself," he said. "And he'll do the same for the princess." He looked up. "Shad. Your attention, please."

A young, bespectacled man with uncombed hair shuffled over. "Yes," he replied. "Yes, yes, what is it, old boy?"

Rusl ignored the lack of formality. Shad was known to be a little eccentric. "Shad, Link has always been observant. I know that from training him. But his skills were never this good."

Shad pushed his spectacles further up his nose. "Ah, well," he stammered. "As you know, Red Potion affects our subjects in different ways. Sometimes in a frightfully surprising manner." He scratched his head. "Tea, anyone?"

Ralis hissed. "Who is this fool?"

"Shad brews Red Potion for us," Rusl replied in a patient tone. "He's studies the effects. He has my upmost trust. Shad, please continue."

"Ah, um, of course." The young man seemed a bit ruffled by the prince's response. "I theorise that this Link has undergone some severe trauma and that, combined with the potion built-up within him, turned him into a…a…well…"

"A weapon?" asked Ralis.

"Well," said Shad. "Nothing quite so fanciful. It sharpened his focus. His mind worked faster. His body drew on some extra reserve of strength. Remarkable, really. He had one aim – to get the princess – and had no doubts or sentiment to weigh him down."

"Interesting," said Ralis.

"It is," Rusl replied. "If we could find a way to replicate it…. _Can_ you replicate it, Shad? In our volunteer?"

They all looked in one direction. A huge man was strapped to a chair, tubes filled with bubbling red liquid trailing from his arms and legs. His eyes were closed, his head slumped.

"As I said, it's unpredictable," Shad replied. "The Behemoth here was an undefeated champion of the Game – until he met Link. Thus, he has the motivation to hunt him. He's also blessed with a devilish amount of natural skill. The Red Potion we're giving him will hopefully enhance that. Obviously, our plan was to slowly drip feed it to the fellow and -"

"But now we have to accelerate it," Sahasrahla interrupted. "Yes, yes. Just make sure your brute doesn't kill the boy. Break him – but keep alive."

Rusl turned his thoughts inward. His heart felt like solid lead. _How has it come to this, Link? I had such high hopes for you._

He glanced up at the ceiling. A lot of it was shrouded in darkness. That's where _she_ would be.

"I know you're watching, Midna," he called. "You track. The Behemoth takes Link."

"And I lead," said Ralis.

Rusl dropped his gaze to stare at the Zora.

"She's my wife," the prince explained. "I will lead the expedition to bring her back."

The captain didn't like it. A foreigner leading the search for the princess...? And a Zora at that. But at the same time, he knew he could trust Midna to keep an eye on him. Plus, he'd rather have Ralis out of the castle, then stay here and try to play ruler.

Rusl bowed his head. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

* * *

Link sat at the bar with his head bowed, hands clasped around a flagon of water. The busy sounds of the inn hummed in his ears. His face partially cloaked by his hood, Link raised the mug and took a sip. It was good enough. Anything stronger than water would be unwise.

Red Potion slept within him, dormant now, and the past few days seemed like a dream. Had he really kidnapped the Princess of Hyrule….?

He didn't have to turn around to feel the hostility she radiated towards him. She was sat alone in one corner of the inn, a black cloak covering her baggy, brown travelling attire. She'd washed the make-up from her face and her crudely cropped hair was now a deep chestnut brown. Heavy, black boots completed the look. Perfectly unattractive.

 _Probably._

Link took a sip from his drink. He shifted his thoughts. Sadness pooled into his heart.

 _Ilia_.

Anger warred with grief in his heart. He didn't even know what the Smiling Man had done with her body. And what was Link supposed to tell her father….? Would he even get a chance or would the Mayor have to waste away in worry…?

Link sighed. First things first. The Breach of Black Glass had been the cause of all his recent problems, and it had to be dealt with first.

The barkeep dropped a metal plate of food in front of Link. Overcooked meat steamed over a pile of glistening vegetables.

"Here," the barkeep growled as he wiped the grease from his hands. "Pay up."

Link handed over the rupees. It was money left over from the gold the Smiling Man had given him. He hated having to use it. With a nod to the barkeep, Link took the plate and his flagon, then swung out from his chair. He weaved his way past the serving maids until he reached the princess and pushed the plate in front of her.

"Eat."

Zelda's blue eyes flashed. She glared. She did that a lot, Link realised.

"Stop. Giving. Me. Orders," she said. "Were you taught no manners?"

Link blinked. "You need to eat," he said softly. "Please."

She only hesitated for a heartbeat. Somewhere in the inn a man bellowed far too loudly. Zelda picked up a fork, then grimaced as she tasted the meat. She wallowed with some difficulty. Link didn't blame her – the food smelt awful.

"It won't be easy getting into the temple," she said.

"Aren't you meant to be my captive?" he replied. "Why all the advice?"

"Be quiet," she said in a voice less harsh than her actual words, "and listen."

Link took the hint. "I wasn't expecting it to be easy," he replied. "What are we looking at?"

Zelda shrugged. "Monsters. Traps. Sahasrahla wasn't clear about it."

Link watched as she wolfed down the food, her face a curious mix of relief and disgust. He noticed that about the princess. Just like Ilia, she didn't complain. He didn't realise she was so hungry, though. Tired, too - she'd dozed most of the way to the small town of Eldin where they now were.

Link himself only needed a few bites of food – years of training had adjusted his body to as little food as possible. That, and the fact that it was the years of Red Potion that sustained him.

He slid his mug across to her. "Drink"

She took the flagon to her lips and leaned her head back, her throat bobbing. More raucous laughter echoed in the background.

 _Not even a 'thank you.' What was that about manners…?_

Link studied her. So this was Princess Zelda. He'd always thought of her as haughty and unapproachable. Here in this cheap inn wearing her cheap clothes, she seemed a lot smaller. Diminished, even. Almost normal.

Zelda noticed his attention and looked up from her meal. "Finally decided I was worthy to talk to, then?"

Link held her gaze. "I need information."

Her eye twitched. If she was expecting him to speak to her like her maids and servants did, she had another thing coming.

"I was giving it to you," she replied.

Link conceded the point to her. "I just didn't expect you to be so helpful," he said. When she said nothing in reply, he asked, "An act of pure kindness? Why?"

Zelda looked away for a moment, then looked back. "It's said that this temple was built on the ruins of a golden one from centuries past. There, a long time ago, a princess of old – an ancestor of mine - was assassinated to end the Cycle."

"I've heard of it," said Link. "The Cycle, that is. It's still here."

"Well," Zelda replied. "Be that as it may. Before that, in another place, there was a legend of someone called the Key whose blood was needed to open a portal. Both were acts of violence. The exact opposite is required this time. And it has to be genuine."

Link leaned back in his hard, wooden chair as he pondered. "We take a beggar with us. Hand her a gold coin. It won't work?"

"No." She watched him for a moment. "And judging by your conduct, I think you had better leave the kindness to me."

For the first time in a long while, Link felt a genuine smile touch his lips. "Really."

"Yes, really."

It could've stung, that comment, if Link hadn't noticed that she, too, was trying to suppress a smile. Their eyes met, but he looked away quickly. Link watched the lanterns scattered around the inn, saw the oil burning within them. He glanced at the people in the inn. None were looking their way. Still, despite slouching in his chair, he was tense and ready

"A quest," he said at last as he turned back. "I had a friend who was interested in quests."

He'd tried, but he couldn't keep the sadness from his voice. Zelda peered at him over the top of the flagon as she sipped. She said nothing.

"So," Link continued before she started asking any question. "We have to be _nice._ We enter the…what was it…?"

"The Sacred Realm."

"The Sacred Realm," Link repeated.

"After that, it's down to you," said Zelda. She skewered some meat with her fork, then popped it into her mouth. After a few chews, she looked like she was in pain. "You do know how to close the breach, correct?"

Link held out his palms. "Princess, I have no idea."

"Ssh!" she snapped. "Don't call me that here." Her voice hissed through clenched teeth. She leaned in, then whispered, "And why don't you know…? Don't you have visions…?"

"Just the one," Link replied. "All it said was to close the breach."

They fell into silence, each alone with their own thoughts.

An act of pure kindness. That was something they didn't teach in the Academy. Maybe he should practice.

"I can let you go," said Link. "You don't have to come. Just draw me a map to this temple."

"No," she said. "I'll guide you there."

"Why?"

"We offered to take you," Zelda replied. "You turned us down and kidnapped me."

"Take me on _your_ terms, you mean," Link countered. "I want to get to the breach before your men, not have them as my...my...nursemaids."

"Well then," Zelda replied in a quiet, satisfied voice. "I'm the only person you know who can get you to Snowpeak. Now you need me as much as I need you."

Link held back from a sigh. Verbal sparring with the princess was tiring. It was much easier talking to someone like Ilia. He closed his eyes.

 _Illy…_

A dam broke within and the hurt washed over him. Link had to blink away tears. When he opened his eyes fully again, he saw Zelda observing him with a curious, wide-eyed gaze.

"You were with a girl," she said. "What happened to her?"

 _Clever. There's no point hiding it from her._

"She's dead." His voice was a raw croak again. Red Potion stirred in his veins. Link drew in a deep breath. "We better go. Your people will be after us. Unless you want to order them to let me go…?"

Zelda held up her chin and said nothing. Link finally understood. She still planned to use her magic stone, the one he guessed would cause the damage in all the other worlds. The Dragmire, she called it. She wanted to personally make sure the deed was done. Of course, if her soldiers caught up to them, she wouldn't hesitate to order them to capture him. It'd make her job so much easier.

Link reached over and decided to take his drink back.

"The Smiling Man," Zelda added, not even noticing. "He'll be trailing us, too. I know he will. He's insane. He wants to kill everyone."

Link wasn't going to call her out on that. This time.

"He'll be there," she continued. "Once we get to the temple…"

Link nodded. He could feel the Red Potion surge within him again. It drew a cocoon around the tempest of his emotions. Unnecessary thoughts dropped from his mind.

His eyes panned the room. There was no threat here, but he could see who carried hidden weapons, could spot those who had the marks of a brawler, and those he knew would run away from a fight. His mind worked through strategies to tackle them all. Just in case.

"The Smiling Man." Link took one last swig from his flagon. "Well. That's just out _stand_ ing."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The chill, night air enveloped them as they left, the voices and general noise of the inn fading behind them. A threat of rain hung in the air, and a few early drops spun into Link's face. There was little light - the moon was waning. A quick scan of their surroundings told Link there were no owls about. Speaking of which...

"The Smiling Man," he said in a level tone as they walked. "He said you cursed him."

"I did."

She turned her face away. Link got the hint. She hadn't asked him probing questions about Ilia and he was expected to return the favour now. They continued to walk, and Link took in his surroundings.

Eldin was an old town, with ornate buildings built with tall spires and pyramidal roofs. The cathedral dominated the skyline, huge and imposing, with a trio of bell-towers set in a triangle formation around a large dome. Rose-tinted windows embellished with elaborate tracery completed the look.

Link knew that the cathedral was dedicated to the One, while other temples in Hyrule were for devotees of the Three. Neither group got on with the other. An echo of his vision ghosted back to him. _We are they. We are one._

Red Potion prickled within Link's veins. Something was awry.

"We're being followed," he said.

Zelda was about to turn, but Link clutched her wrist. "Don't look. Keep walking."

She snatched her arm away. "You grabbing me like that makes it obvious we know as well."

 _Good point._

Whoever was tailing them was keeping to the shadows, but wasn't doing a very good job of it.

 _Not Midna, then._

It had to be someone from the inn. Not as harmless as he'd first thought, then. Link and Zelda's footsteps rang out as they crossed the paved town square heading toward the public stables where they'd left their horse and cart. There was too much open space between them and their destination, though.

More superfluous thoughts melted away from his mind's eye. His emotions plunged deeper into the abyss of his soul.

Link's raced through their options. There were two buildings within sprinting distance – the cathedral itself and the squat, dirty-looking local brothel. Not really a choice, especially as he had the princess with him.

Link dashed up the steps of the cathedral. Zelda followed, as he knew she would. The large wooden door, wrinkled with age, was unlocked. Clearly, worshippers were welcome at any time.

They slipped inside. Stale, musty air hit their senses.

A thick, plum-coloured drape barred their way. Link pushed through, and looked up. The curtain hung down from a metal bar plated in gold. They were faced with rows and rows of benches, and running parallel on either side of the large hall were a series of small booths. Candles lit the way along the floor, pushing back against the gloom. No one was around.

The main door opened again. Link shoved Zelda into one of the empty stalls. The stall door whispered shut behind them. Zelda wore her now-familiar look of glaring annoyance. She opened her mouth to speak, but Link held a finger to her lips. That earned him another glare.

They heard the sound of heavy boots squeaking against the polished floor.

"I'm telling you it was her," a male voice said. There were at least two of them, then – unless this one liked talking out loud to himself.

"You're seeing things," the other man replied. "Princess Zelda…? Out here?"

With the tip of his gloved finger, Link pushed the stall door open a crack. There were four men, not two. He could see their dark shapes poking around the benches as they searched. Sometimes pale light from the large, oval stained-glass windows caught them, but he still couldn't make out any features.

He felt a tug at his tunic. Link turned. Zelda pointed to herself and mouthed 'Mine?' The puzzled look on her face told him it was a question. He shook his head. These men didn't seem like professionals, and certainly not like Hylian soldiers.

Still, four-on-one weren't the best odds. Unless Zelda knew how to fight. A distant throb of disquiet made his every muscle tense up.

"It _was_ her," the third man said. "Even I recognised her. Her nose. Her eyes. All the same as in the portraits. Hey, imagine if we bagged her - do you know what it would mean for the Resistance?"

Link cast a questioning glance at the princess. Zelda could only shrug. She was almost standing at his shoulder now. He felt her hand come to rest on his back. Some vague part of his mind became aware of how small the booth was. The Red Potion smothered the thought.

Link pulled the Silver Mask over his face and dropped his hand to the weapons around his belt.

' _You have finally decided to talk to me, then,'_ said Fi in his mind. _'Have you been cured of your violent – though impressive - rampage?'_

' _You're supposed to be helping me,'_ Link replied. ' _You didn't even know where we were going.'_

' _I am helping you,'_ she said. _'In fact, I can tell right you now that one of those men out there is approaching this stall in 3…2…1…"_

Link leapt forward and kicked the stall door open. Whoever had been standing there went flying across the floor and cracked into one of the benches, then slumped into unconsciousness. Link had already caught a glimpse of the second pursuer. Scooping a candle from the floor, he drove it into the man's chest. Fabric sizzled as he shrieked, then turned straight for the door.

That distracted the final two. There was one to Link's left and one loitering around near the main doorway. Link unhooked his crossbow, raised it, aimed through the scope, and fired. A spark erupted in the dark as the bolt hit the gold-plated bar holding up the drape. It came loose, swung down and knocked the man there on the head with a ringing blow that echoed through the hall.

Steel sang as Link drew his sword and pointed it at their last, remaining pursuer – a thin, aged man who yelped in surprise.

"Who are you?" Link snapped. "What do you want?"

"Who are _you?_ " the man countered. His gaze went over Link's shoulder. He gasped. "It _is_ you. I was right."

The princess came to a stop beside Link, her face unreadable.

Link turned his attention back to his captive. He didn't seem to be armed. Still, Link kept his sword trained on him.

"The Resistance," said Link. "What is it?"

"I...I...I…" the man stammered. He looked at Zelda once again and his fear fled, replaced by grim determination. "We're loyal to the king. The old king. We don't accept his daughter here. We don't accept that our sons go to the Game and come back maimed and limbless. We want change."

"What's your name?" asked Zelda.

"Auru."

As Link listened he noticed a pale, emerald glow begin to stretch across the cathedral floor. Link turned to Zelda, saw the swirling energy at her fingertips.

"He's a threat," Zelda said in reply to his unspoken question. Her voice was quiet and calm, her face half-shrouded in a green shadow as her magical energy began to spit and crackle. "He should be removed."

The man whimpered. A dark stain blossomed down one of his trouser legs.

Zelda addressed him. "Who would you have to replace me?"

"I don't know. Anyone. We need a change," Auru said. His chin trembled despite the defiance in his voice. "We'd even take the Zora prince."

One corner of Zelda's mouth curled up. "Ralis…?"

Link eyed the man. Something didn't add up. The princess obviously hadn't heard of this movement – and she probably had spies everywhere. And judging from this Auru, they didn't sound very focused.

"How many people are in this Resistance?" Link asked.

Auru raised his chin. "I won't give them up."

Link pressed hard with the tip of his sword. "Tell me."

Zelda stepped forward. Her magic had now woven shimmering, jade-coloured spheres around her entire hands. "Tell _me._ "

The Resistance man looked from Link to Zelda, then back to Link again." A-a-about five or six."

"Thousand?" said Link.

Auru began to look sheepish. "No."

"Five or six…only?"

"Y-yes!"

"People like you?"

"Yes!"

Link lowered his voice so that only the princess could hear. "He's no threat. None of them are."

"He could be lying," she replied. "To save himself."

"Please," Auru begged, falling to his knees. He clutched at the princess's leg. "Just…just don't let it hurt. Not too much. Please."

Zelda blinked in quick succession. Her expression softened. The eerie, green light faded from her hands.

"I..." she said.

" _Please._ "

Without another word, Zelda pulled away from Auru's grasp, turned, and strode out of the cathedral.

Link slowly lowered his sword. The man at his feet was weeping now. There was nothing more to be said. Like both Zelda and Fi had told him, talking wasn't his strongest point.

 _Fear and violence. Is this all I am?_

The thought was swallowed by an inner surge of Red Potion. Link spun around and followed the princess out, pausing only step over the prone form of the pursuer who had idled near the door.

For a moment he thought he'd lost her. The town square was deserted, the only light being that spilling out from the inn's windows and the few token lanterns strung around in random places. At least that meant that the runaway Resistance man hadn't called for help. The rain had started in earnest now, massive drops splattering against the paved ground, staining it dark.

' _The stables,'_ said Fi.

He turned that way and spotted one of the stable doors still swinging on its hinges. Sheathing his sword and re-hooking his crossbow, he began walking toward it.

' _I think I'm starting to remember,'_ Fi said in his mind. ' _About who sent me through the breach. It was a nobleman, I think. A lord. I recall he kept to the shadows.'_

Link said nothing. The information didn't help much. He stepped inside the stables, ignoring the horses neighing in disapproval at their rest being disturbed. The air here smelt earthier. Straw crunched under his boots.

Link found the princess perched on her side of their cart's bench. She was looking away. He climbed into his seat. She still didn't face him.

' _I calculate a ninety-seven percent probability that the princess does not wish to engage in conversation at this present time.'_

' _Thank you, Fi,'_ Link replied. _'I'm so glad you're here.'_

' _You're very welcome.'_

Link stopped himself from shaking his head. He tugged on the reins and set them away.

* * *

Princess Zelda shivered as the rain fell in sheets. She didn't even notice the rough rocking of the cart anymore as it struggled through the muddy terrain. The darkness of the night stared at her and she stared right back, breaking her gaze only to give Link the directions he needed. A bouncing lantern hung from the cart's side and lit their way. The rain hissed as it hit the hot glass.

Zelda nursed her wounded heart. How had this happened? How had she become an ogre to be feared of with some of her very own people - the people she cared about so, so much…?

They wanted her gone. It was only a handful, if Auru was to be believed. But somehow she suspected there was more discontent than she realised.

It was true she couldn't explain all her actions to them, but she thought her people, at least, trusted in her wisdom. She was struck by a glum thought.

 _I wanted them to believe I knew better._

She hadn't cared when Ralis's friends had tried to flee in terror from her. They were external threats, the type that had kept her on guard for most of her life. But seeing one of her own begging for his life at her feet...

 _Am I becoming the very thing that I hated the most…? Driving people into the dirt because I think I'm better than them…?_

And now she'd also shown her hand to Link - he must know now that her magic had recharged. She'd tried to work her situation to her advantage. Escape wasn't an option now that she had the means to use the Dragmire and close the breach. She could put up with the dowdy clothes, ugly haircut and uncomfortable boots; she just hadn't wanted Link to know the extent of her powers – in case she needed to use them against him.

Zelda sniffed as the rain poured, soaking through her hood. She'd just have to keep an extra eye on -

Link released one hand from the reins. He pulled off his cloak and draped it over her in one swift movement. Zelda stared at him.

"Keep yourself dry," he said. "You don't want to catch a cold."

She kept on staring, blinking rainwater out of her eyes. "You're a very strange kidnapper."

He didn't react to that. Link was a puzzle Zelda just couldn't figure out. Was this genuine concern? Was he mocking her? Or was he just trying to make sure she didn't slow them down by falling ill...?

"Where are we going now?" he asked.

"The Bridge of Eldin." she replied. She said no more than that, and he didn't ask. Good thing, too. Link showed no fear, but what they'd face at the Bridge was usually beyond what most people could bear.

She snuck another glance at Link. He still had his mask on, but his eyes were clearly visible. Now she knew the source of his pain – the death of the girl. Zelda knew all about loss from her mother's murder. Thinking about her made Zelda feel small and lonely. Remembering how Auru had reacted to her just deepened the feeling and made it worse.

She watched Link a moment longer. A childish thought tugged at her, the type of thought she believed she'd buried a long time ago. The girl must have been special to Link.

Zelda hoped that one day she'd be that special to someone, too.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The Behemoth placed two meaty hands on the old man's shoulders and pushed him down to his knees. Prince Ralis placed a foot on a bench, his arms resting over his knee, and looked down. "Auru, is it?"

"Yes." The old man's voice shook.

Someone else cut in. "Stop this! This is a holy place!"

Ralis looked up. Eldin's priest stood before him, his face twisted in fury. Pinkish light filled the hall as sunlight flitted through the cathedral's stained-glass windows.

"Get out," Ralis spat. "Unless you'd like to discuss it with my companion here."

The white-garbed priest took one look at the Behemoth, the conflict clear on his face, then turned and stalked off, muttering under his breath. Ralis watched him go. He didn't care about offending the sensibility of any Hylian superstitions. In fact, he found everything Hylian-related grating.

"You're certain it was her?" he asked, addressing his captive once again.

Auru bowed his head. "She used magic. It was her."

"Who was with her...?"

"Just-just a man," Auru stammered. "He wore a mask. A silver one."

"Damn."

Ralis had only one aim - bed the princess, show the dominance of the Zora by bringing the stubborn girl to a helpless state of bliss. It was crude, but so what? He didn't care which Zora did it, either, whether it was himself or his dearly-departed friends.

All that mattered was that a Zora did it first. But now she was in the hands of some Hylian commoner. It was simply unacceptable.

The prince felt his cheek twitch. "And you have no idea where they went...?"

"No, Your Majesty." The old man met Ralis's stare. "I used to serve her family. A long time ago. Serve the king, I mean. I don't particularly care for _her_. She's a tyrant."

Ralis's eyes narrowed. "She's my wife."

He nodded at the Behemoth. The big man grabbed Auru by the head and twisted. A crack echoed around the hall. Auru fell limp as he tumbled to the ground.

"Well, that was clever," a smooth, feminine voice said. "If he didn't care for her, he would've been willing to help us."

Ralis turned and tried to search for the source of the voice. It was no use, of course. Midna knew how to keep herself well-hidden. She only ever revealed herself to drop hints on which way to go. It was galling.

"You're the Tracker," the prince replied. "So go track."

He didn't want to admit that she was right. Ralis had grown up in Zora's Domain a shy and awkward boy. He was certain the other Zora whispered behind his back, questioned his every movement. He'd hated that.

When he'd come of age, he'd been plagued by lustful thoughts, but didn't have the courage to speak to any Zora girls his age - all except one, and she'd reciprocated his feelings. But she was a commoner, and Queen Rutela had forbade it from going further.

Thwarted, Prince Ralis had found himself forced into a marriage with Princess Zelda. The Zora had endured decades of abuse at the hands of these humans, and now his mother had accepted an alliance on the word of this girl...? No, just no. The princess would submit to a Zora, and then, finally, Ralis would get the respect that he deserved.

"Are you finished daydreaming?" Midna asked.

He ignored her, and gestured to the Behemoth instead. "Come."

The big man shuffled after him as the prince left the cathedral and stepped out into the cool, Eldin air. Ralis unhooked a pouch from his belt, pulled the stopper free with his teeth, and sprinkled some water all over himself. He'd been too long away from the Domain.

The Behemoth hadn't said a word since they'd left the castle. He obeyed, though, and Ralis was grateful for that.

The prince had learned from Captain Rusl that Hylian soldiers were given Red Potion from a young age until they reached eighteen. After that, they wouldn't need it anymore; it stayed in the body, working its wonders. The Behemoth had received the same dose within a matter of hours. It remained to be seen if any ill-effects would result from that.

Red Potion. The Hylians most closely-guarded secret. Well, it was until Rusl had unwittingly let it slip to Ralis. Now the prince knew the name of the young man who brewed the stuff for the Hylians.

As the prince walked off with the Behemoth in tow, a cold smile slashed across his mouth. Perhaps things were about to turn his way at long last.

* * *

The cart climbed up the final rise toward their destination. Zelda glanced at Link - he had his mask off now - and saw the crease in his brow.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I'm sure there was another town near Eldin," he said. "Larn, it was called."

Zelda blinked in surprise. "You've...heard of it?"

Link turned to her. "Shouldn't I have?"

"It's the town that was taken by the breach." She stared at him, as though seeing him in a completely new light. "Only Sahasrahla remembers when that happens..."

If Link had anything to say to that he didn't get a chance. He brought the cart to a sudden stop. Zelda looked ahead.

An archway set in a huge, stone fort stood before them. The sigil of the Royal Family had been carved into the façade. Twin pillars covered in lichen and moss stood vigil at the front. The fort was deserted, sunlight winking from behind the glassless windows. Birds circled overhead, swooping and soaring.

Zelda swallowed a sharp intake of breath. She saw what lay beyond the archway. A shroud of thick mist.

Zelda stepped down from the cart. Her mouth had dried.

"The Bridge of Eldin," she announced. "Just through that arch."

Link disembarked as well. He raised his crossbow and peered through the scope. "I can't see the other side," he said as he tried to adjust the sight. "And what is that tapping sound...?"

Zelda stepped forward, her eyes fixed on the way ahead. "Sahasrahla believes it's the noise that drives people mad."

Link looked up. Zelda didn't need to turn his way to know he was confused. "That fog," she explained, gesturing toward the bridge. "It fell through the Breach of Black Glass. Seeped through, to be exact."

"It's from another world...?"

Zelda nodded. "People walk into it and they don't come out. They don't reach the other side, either." She stared at the mist. It hung in pure silence. Even the birds were avoiding it.

Link didn't say anything, so she went on, "This is the only crossing over the gorge. We can't get to Snowpeak any other way." Now she did turn to him. "We walk from here. Even animals are affected."

Link considered this for a moment, then turned and released the horse from its harness. With a sharp slap on its flank, he set the horse off in the direction of Eldin.

"We have to cross it?" Link asked.

Zelda drew in a deep breath, then nodded.

"Outstanding," he muttered.

She hoped that it was just the cold that was making her tremble. "It does something to people," she said softly. "Sahasrahla used to say it lights the dark corners of the heart. If only it were that poetic."

"Any advice?" Link added.

"Don't listen to anything." If they died here, all would be lost. This would be a huge risk. "This is a test. That's what I believe, anyway. We can rise above it."

Zelda held out her hand. Link hesitated, surprised. Then, gingerly, he slid his hand into hers. He squeezed. It felt strangely reassuring.

She led him past the stone torches - now long cold and empty - and under the archway. Branches and shrivelled leaves blew over her ankles. They stopped at the edge of the bridge.

"Are you ready?" she said.

"See you on the other side, princess."

Zelda smiled and then, in unison, they stepped onto the bridge.

The mist swirled around her. Darkness fell. Cloying. Suffocating. Her heart felt like it was sinking into ice-cold mud. Plummeting. Falling. Panic rose in reply.

Her hand was empty.

"Link...?"

No reply came.

"Hello...?"

The silence was absolute.

A whisper carried on a cold breeze ghosted past her left ear.

 _You failed me, Zelda._

She froze. It was her mother's voice.

 _You let me die. All that magic and you let me die._

A child's mournful wail rolled past her right ear. Tears came to Zelda's eyes.

 _We served the king. We don't accept his daughter._

The voice - from the old man in Eldin - came from behind her. Zelda spun around.

Nothing. Just a wall of darkness.

Someone laughed. Harsh, deep.

Zelda felt her heart pound out a deep, slow rhythm.

 _We hate you._

She clutched her ears. It was like a million voices at once. All the people of Hyrule.

 _We hate you!_

Tears streamed down her face. It was true, all true.

 _Hate...hate...hate..._

 _Failed...failed...failed..._

Zelda's boot kicked against something hard. A bed appeared in the darkness. An occupied bed.

"Mother...?"

The queen's unblinking eyes turned toward her. Bloodstained lips opened. "Why didn't you save me?"

"No..." Zelda whispered. "I would have. I just...I wasn't..."

"You let me die," her mother replied. "Such a disappointment. Why couldn't I have had a son...?"

The apparition vanished. Something else, though, had appeared in the darkness. A gap in the bridge wall. Zelda found herself walking toward it, mesmerised. The myriad voices returned - it felt like they were pushing at her back. In contrast, the yawning abyss beyond the bridge seemed like the comforting embrace of a lover.

Princess Zelda marched toward it.

* * *

Link stepped onto the bridge. Zelda's hand vanished from his.

The world shifted, blurred, then reformed. He found himself in an inn. The clientele were exquisitely dressed: the women in furs and painted faces, the men in rich, deeply-coloured feathered tunics. Crystal chandeliers adorned with a forest of flickering candles twinkled from the ceiling above. Gentle laughter, soft music and the tinkle of metallic cutlery tickled the air.

He slid into a chair at a nearby table. It had a solitary red rose standing tall in a thin vase of dark, smoky glass. Waiters passed by carrying platters of goblets filled with Red Potion. In fact, everywhere he looked, he saw people drinking the stuff.

 _You're nothing without it._

Link blinked. The thought had been a sigh in his mind. He blinked again. There were now three others sitting at the table with him.

Link's eyes stung. He recognised all three of them.

Illy...

"I believed in happy endings, Link," the first Ilia said. "Why didn't you let me have one?"

"You didn't even try to stop him," the second spat. "You let him kill me."

The third spoke with equal venom. "All that Red Potion and you couldn't stop me from dying. Maybe you should die, too, to make it fair."

Link's eyes fell to the rose as it turned black, then shrivelled to dust. Colour drained from the entire world. Everything became a monochrome grey.

Link breathed in deeply - once, twice. The first Ilia, her pretty face blank, dropped her gaze to Link's weapons.

"That's a nice crossbow," she purred. Inky darkness swirled in her eyes. "Why don't you unhook it from your belt there?"

Link did as she asked.

The second Ilia wore a seductive smile. "Aim it under your chin," she said, her voice breathless. "Please, sweetie."

Link did. The metallic tip of the bolt scratched his skin.

The third Ilia leaned forward, naked anticipation gleaming in her eyes. "Shoot."

Link's finger curled around the trigger.

"Shoot," the third growled. "If you ever loved me, you'd shoot."

His trembling finger pulled slightly - then Link kicked away from the table, his chair tumbling backward; and as it did so, he readjusted the aim of his crossbow and fired. It shattered the chandelier swinging over the table. A shower of glass splinters crashed to the floor. Link rolled back and slid across the floor, firing his crossbow all the way. The bolts took out two of the table legs; it toppled onto one side creating a makeshift shield between Link and the three women.

Speaking of whom...

The trio of Ilias were changing. They began to shrink, their faces melting into squat and snorting pig-like shapes, their skin turning a deep green.

 _You were born to kill._

Blades shimmered into life in the three creatures' stubby fists. The sharp tip of a sword splintered through the centre of the tabletop. The circle of wood then ploughed toward Link as the grunting creatures pushed it on.

 _Kill._

Link flipped out of the way just as the squealing table reached him. With swift hands, he exchanged his crossbow for his sword. The creatures were upon him in an instant.

Metal _chinked_ as Link skewed the first attack aside. A swift kick sent the second attack awry. Link sprang to his feet, and plunged his sword home into one of the creatures. Smoking green sludge oozed out of the wound.

 _Kill._

Link pulled the blade free and swung two-handed. It sliced through the second monster's neck.

 _Kill._

The third creature doubled over as Link punched it in the gut. Snarling, the monster righted himself in an instant. Link kicked it away and raised his sword overhead, ready to -

 _Kill! Kill! Kill!_

 _Don't listen,_ Zelda had said. _This is a test._

Link paused. The last creature shrieked in fury. Link had to decide - and quickly. Red Potion rushed to his head, but he stamped down on it. He knew this had to be his decision alone.

The monster lunged, swinging its sword. Link lowered his own blade. Eyes closed, he felt the Red Potion stir again - and realised what he had to do.

No. No more relying on the potion. He calmed his heart and mind. Thoughts fell away. He drifted on an infinite sea. He felt free.

Silence.

Something tugged at the corner of his mind. He recognised it as the same source of his initial vision, the one that had told him about the Breach of Black Glass. 'Your path is askew' it had said then. Now a new message came from beyond time and space: _Your path is straight._

Link opened his eyes again. Darkness surrounded him. The inn, the creatures - all gone. The mist, whatever it truly was, had conjured it, and it was the mist that spoke now.

 _How? No one is immune to the Spell of Sorrow._

"I doubt that very much," Link replied as he sheathed his sword.

 _Why? Why do you doubt? No one doubts me. I_ _ **am**_ _doubt! I lurk in the heart of every living thing!_

Link pressed his lips into a cold, thin smile and said nothing. Zelda's words came back to him: _Don't listen to anything._

He wouldn't. Her excepted.

The mist that cloaked the Bridge of Eldin burned with rage and hostility. He ignored it, pushing it away from his innermost soul. Link took a deep breath. He refocused his thoughts so that they only went in one single direction.

Princess Zelda.

He reached out into the darkness.

* * *

She stood on the precipice. One step was all it would take. Her clothes fluttered in the gentle breeze while her hand came to rest on the jagged broken outcrop that marked where the wall had fallen away. She felt the crumbling rock under her palm.

Voices swirled around her head - accusing, resenting, hating. Zelda's eyes ached from all the tears. A spasm of pain racked her heart in time with every thud. The dark hand of despair clutched at her soul and dragged her down, down, down...

An unspeakable urge ran through her. It prodded her. She lifted one foot. There was nothing beneath except dense, thick fog. It probably wouldn't even hurt. Closing her eyes, she leaned forward -

When a hand caught her wrist in a tight grip. Zelda's eyes sprang open and she whirled her head around.

"We're done here," said Link, and pulled her back with a strong tug.

The spell shattered.

Reality winked out.

Princess Zelda fell to the soft earth, gasping for breath. She wheezed as her mind began to finally settle. How long had she been here...? And what in the world had happened on the bridge...?

She glanced over her shoulder. The bridge was behind them - they'd reached the other side. And, more importantly, the fog had rolled away, leaving the Bridge of Eldin standing free under the full glare of the sun.

Relief made her whole body sag. Zelda's clothes had stuck to her skin and now the breeze tickled the dried sweat. A shaky laugh overcame her, her mouth spreading into a giddy smile.

 _We made it!_

She turned back. "Thank you kindly for -"

Zelda stopped. She wheeled her head this way and that. There were trees with thick, twisted branches. There were small, forest animals that gave her a curious look as their whiskers twitched, then scampered away.

But there was no Link.

Link was gone.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

They'd struck with impressive speed.

Link had barely stepped off the Bridge of Eldin when they'd pulled a black hood over his face, and sent him to dreamland with a crack to the back of his head. Embarrassing. To be caught out cold so easily...

For some reason, they'd left the princess lying where she was. He wondered if they'd even recognised her. Now Link found himself in a wheeled cage, pulled along by a man and woman who had introduced themselves as bounty hunters when he'd regained consciousness.

They weren't Hylian, that was for sure. It was the ears that differentiated them. Strange and rounded instead of the normal sharp point he was used to.

"He's got to be worth something," the man named Elias had said. "Look at the weapons he was carrying."

They had his sword, mask and crossbow in a satchel that the woman called Marie carried on her shoulder. The pouch of what gold he had left was in there, too. Link had planned to use it for supplies as they got closer to Snowpeak; that way, Zelda and himself would have less to carry.

"We'll see," Marie had said.

"Come on," Elias had replied. "We've got no other targets after we're done with the boy. It's worth the shot."

Link wasn't alone in the cage. The 'boy' the bounty hunter was referring to was in there as well. He looked a few years younger than Link and had been snoring softly from the moment he'd woken up.

Link rested his back against the metal bars. Despite being out cold for a while, he still felt weighed down by fatigue. Link tore a thread from his cloak and dropped it outside through the bars. The Red Potion was now a dim echo within him. He'd learned what he'd needed from it, though, and his body had long since adjusted to its methods.

Case in point: A quick scan of the two bounty hunters told Link that they were vicious fighters – the woman had part of her left little finger missing and both had scars crisscrossing their bare arms and face. Curved daggers hung from their waists. They liked to inflict pain, then.

The young boy started to stir, his eyes fluttering open.

"Good morning," said Link, flicking another grey strand from his cloak out of the cage. He took a glance at the sky. "Or afternoon. I haven't been able to keep track recently."

The boy rubbed his eyes. "The heat would have been enough of a sign, sir."

He was right. Link pulled at the neck of his tunic to let some air in. The sun had begun to bake the small cage, making the dirty straw underneath give off a strong, unsanitary smell.

"I'm Colin," the boy said.

"Link." He considered his companion with the strange name. Colin had the same weird ears the bounty hunters did and shared an accent that Link couldn't quite place. He unravelled another string of grey thread and set it fluttering into the breeze. "You don't seem too surprised to see me."

Colin shrugged. "People come and go in here," he said with a dismissive air. "It'll be my turn next. They're headed to collect my bounty."

"You seem a little young to be an outlaw," said Link.

And too fresh-faced as well. His skin was smooth and unblemished like a baby. As if to emphasise the point, Colin said, "We're not all grizzled veterans like yourself."

 _Charming._ He wondered what Ilia would've thought of that. Remembering her picked at the blister on his heart. Link sighed, willing his emotions to remain still. It worked, apart from the water pooling behind his eyelids. He wiped it away.

"What did you do?" Link asked. "To earn the attention of the likes of them?" He gestured towards the two bounty hunters.

Colin hugged his knees and leaned back his head. "I fell in love."

"Is that a crime around these parts?"

The boy looked away. The wheels of the cage beat out a rhythmic squeak. They were in dire need of some oil, Link realised.

Colin cleared his throat. "No, not a crime per se, but...Beth and I, ours was a love that spanned the ages. I hope one day, sir, you taste such a sweet delight, though looking at you and the state of your clothes, I daresay you should settle for a woman with low standards"

Link wondered if he shouldn't have just stayed unconscious.

Colin paused for breath, then said, "It was our wedding day. I was…detained by something, a mere trifle of a matter. By the time I'd arrived Beth's father was in a perplexing rage. Put a bounty on my head. I had to run. Hardly fair, is it?"

Link said nothing. He found it better to listen. As he did, he tore more thread from his cloak and dropped it outside.

"Why do you keep doing that, sir?" asked Colin. "There are people in this cruel world who have nothing to cover themselves with and here you are throwing your garment to the wind. What a waste."

A faint smile touched Link's lips. He leaned forward and in a low voice said, "Breadcrumbs."

Colin wore an expression that indicated that he thought Link was a total idiot. "That's not bread, sir."

Link's smile grew. "You and Fi would get on really well."

"Who?"

Link closed his eyes, raising a hand to cover his face from the sun. Now he wished he'd taken that hat back at the Kakariko arena. "You know what? I need to sleep. Wake me when we –"

"What are you in for?"

Link bit back his frustration. "I don't know yet," he replied. "What's your plan for when they hand you over?"

"Do not worry about me," Colin said, his voice brimming with confidence. "Beth must be frantic by now. Once she sees me again, all will be forgiven."

"Really," said Link. "Exactly how far did you get before you were caught…?"

"Miles," Colin replied. "I was wandering for days. Weeks, maybe. It was truly a fortu-"

He was cut off by a sharp bark of a laugh from Elias. "We got the pup this morning within two hours of the town," the bounty hunter said. "Not long before we found you, in fact."

 _People come and go, was it?_ Link decided not to press Colin on that. It was becoming quickly apparent that the boy had no idea about the real world. No wonder he didn't seem that surprised to see him there. Good thing the bounty hunters got him – he'd probably be dead by dawn otherwise.

"Well," said Link, settling back against the metal bars now hot from the long exposure to the sun. "Like I said, wake me when –"

"There they are," said Marie, pointing

Link sighed. He craned his neck to the side to see who awaited them. A stern looking man in a long, billowing coat stood alongside a young girl with red-rimmed eyes and wearing a huge gown.

Beth and her father, Link guessed. He glanced at Colin. The boy's face had turned ashen. He grew even paler as Beth strode up to the cage, ignoring the two dangerous bounty hunters, and stopped in front of him.

A weak smile flickered over Colin's now sickly-looking features.

"You said you loved me," said Beth. "Liar. _Liar!"_

"Listen, honey, sweetcakes," Colin said, his voice trembling. "It was all a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding? Frolicking with one of my bridesmaid on the day of our wedding?"

Link closed his eyes. He really wished he'd been able to have a little sleep now. Love that spanned the ages, indeed.

"It wasn't like that," Colin protested. "Nina seduced me. She –"

"Like the pit she did," Beth cut in.

Colin reached through the bars. "Beth, please –"

"Don't touch me!" She took a step back. Her eyes narrowed and her voice filled with poison. "Get lost. I don't need you. _I hate you_."

With that, she turned elegantly on her high heels and stalked back to her father.

"Beth, wait -!" Colin cried.

"That was beautiful," Link muttered under his breath.

Colin turned to glare daggers at him. "Kindly shut your mouth, sir. She's just not thinking straight."

"I really think she means it."

"Shut up the both of you," Elias snapped. He turned to regard Beth's father. "I got your boy here, Charles. Let's discuss payment."

"Get him out of that pen first," the older man said.

Elias nodded at Marie who took out a bunch of jangling keys. She unlocked the cage door and yanked Colin out. The boy stumbled when he hit the ground, and gave Marie a shove. The bounty hunter snarled and Colin shrank back.

Marie snapped the door shut, the key turning with a loud, final click.

 _More room for me,_ Link thought. He stretched his legs. _Might get that nap now._

Elias held a struggling Colin by the collar of his shirt. "Pay," he said. "Now."

"No."

Beth's father pulled a strange metal stick from within his coat and pointed it at the two hunters. They both bristled, tensing.

Link frowned at the sight of it. It had a trigger, just like his crossbow, but he'd never seen a weapon like it.

The bounty hunters clearly had, though. They pulled their curved daggers free in an instant. Both Beth and Colin wore expressions full of pure fear.

Elias spat. "So that's how it is, is it?"

Charles nodded once. "That's how it is."

Marie jabbed the air with her dagger. Beth's father raised his weapon straight up and pulled the trigger. Flame burst from the tip in an ear-shattering explosion. Birds flew into a panic. Link's eyes widened.

"That was just a warnin' shot," the older man said. He pointed the now-smoking weapon back at the hunters.

Elias slowly brought his dagger to Colin's throat. The boy whimpered.

"Looks like we're at an impasse," the bounty hunter said. "You don't get the lad if we don't get paid."

"Idiot," Beth's father replied. "I _want_ him dead."

Link glanced at the satchel Marie carried. If only he could get to his weapons. Or could just get out of this accursed cage.

Elias hesitated at the other man's words.

Beth clutched at her father. "Daddy, please," she begged. "We don't have to hurt anyone."

"How many times, girl?" Charles growled. "Don't touch me when I'm holding the gun."

"Beth..." Colin gasped. "Please...I'm sorry. Really, I am. I love you."

Sunlight flashed off of Beth's glistening eyes. "Colin..."

Link gripped the bars of the cage. His fists shook with helpless frustration. Biting his lower lip, he tried to force himself into a state of calm.

"Enough of this," Beth's father snapped. He pushed his daughter off and raised his weapon. "I'll go through the lot of you." His finger squeezed around the trigger.

"Colin!" shrieked Beth.

Her father suddenly stopped, raising his head as his eyes widened. He was looking at something beyond the cage. The bounty hunters spun around.

Link turned as well - and let free a long breath. "What took you...?"

Princess Zelda stood there, her face grim, green fire streaming from her eyes and hands.

" _Give me back my Link_."

Beth's father raised his weapon and fired. Zelda held up a palm. Whatever projectile the thing had let fly vanished in a wisp of emerald smoke. Her palm snapped shut. The older man screamed as his weapon burst into flame. He tumbled backward as he dropped it. The weapon crumbled into black ash.

Marie opened her mouth in a feral snarl. Drawing back her arm, she threw her dagger into a spin. Zelda caught it in a hand aglow with magical light, then sent it flying toward the cage door. Sparks spat as it hit. The door swung open.

Link pounced, leaping out and snatching the satchel from Marie as she stood with her jaw hanging open in shock. The long strap snapped, and Link's weapons flew out. He swung his crossbow up, aiming it first at Marie, then quickly at Elias.

"Drop it," said Link.

Anger pulsed in Elias's face. A heartbeat later, he cast his dagger aside.

Link stared through the crossbow's scope."Let the boy go."

Elias pushed Colin toward Beth. They shared an awkward hug.

The girl's trembling father still stared at the princess. "What kind of creature are you?"

Zelda lowered her hands. The magical glow faded, her eyes shimmering back from jade to a pale blue. "From what township do you hail?" she asked. When no one replied, she demanded, "Where in Hyrule are you from?"

Now all five of them looked perplexed. "Hyrule...?" Charles asked. "What - where is Hyrule?"

Link and Zelda exchanged glances. Unease made Link loosen his grip on the crossbow slightly.

Elias noticed the slip. "Go!"

The two bounty hunters burst into a run. A moment later, Beth's father scrambled to his feet and the three of them turned tail as well.

"So strange." Zelda turned to him. "Why didn't they know where they were...?"

A theory was beginning to form in Link's mind. He wasn't ready to share it, though. He lowered his weapon. "Let's find out," he said instead. "They said their town wasn't far from here."

The princess nodded. "Do you know the way?"

Link crouched, picked up the Silver Mask, and brushed off all the filth. He slipped it over his face.

' _Fi.'_

 _'Next time kindly do not leave my lying in the dirt. I was almost ravished by an earthworm.'_

 _'Fi.'_ He tried to project an air of fragile patience. _'Can you track where those people went? The old man and the two young ones?'_

 _'Yes. With an accuracy of around eighty-five percent.'_

Link pulled the mask up to meet Zelda's curious gaze. He hadn't told her about Fi yet.

"I think I can find it," he said.

"Excellent," she replied, and despite not knowing the way herself, began to walk off, going in the general direction the others had fled. Link paused to collect his sword and pouch of gold, then followed after her.

Something was pricking the corner of his mind. Something that the princess had said.

"Thank you," he said as he caught up. "For coming after me."

"You saved me from the bridge," she replied, facing straight ahead. "Thank _you._ "

Link tried to pluck up the courage to ask his next question, but it was Zelda who spoke first.

"Next time," she said. "Try and remember that the breeze can move all those threads you left behind. I would have found you sooner otherwise."

Link smiled. He watched her walk, her poise and grace stirred something deep within him. More than that, he'd been impressed with how she'd handled herself in his rescue. He'd noted that she had spared all five of the strange people. Again, he felt something stir. It was all so confusing.

Link wanted to admire her further, but every time he did so, his heart dragged him down with memories of Ilia. Moreover, she was married. He may be weak when it came to women - at least of the type he had to pay for - but even he knew what lines not to cross.

And that wasn't even the main issue - he eyed the pocket where he knew Zelda kept the Dragmire.

He banished the conflicted emotions, and felt all the better for it. If there was one skill he'd now learned from the Red Potion, it was the ability to restrain his inner self. Or so he hoped.

But still, Link just had to ask...

"Soo..." he said.

Zelda raised her head, but didn't turn. "So...?"

He forced some moisture into his mouth. "Since when have I been your Link?"

Princess Zelda still didn't turn his way. "What was I supposed to say?" was her instant response. "Give me back the man that kidnapped me at the point of his crossbow?"

"Oh. Right."

She picked up her pace, putting some distance between her and Link. "Now," she said. "Stop asking idiotic questions and get a move on."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Regret. Fear.

Captain Rusl's felt his heart twist. He should never have let the Zora prince go after Zelda. Rusl should have gone himself.

Standing on the wall-walk of Hyrule Castle, the breeze ruffling his hair, he peered down at Castleton below. Twilight approached, and a sprinkle of flickering lights began to spring to life under his gaze.

Again his thoughts turned to the princess. Could Ralis really be trusted with her? Would he even bring her back? He could easily snatch her from Link and take her to the Zora homeland instead. The captain felt cold, inside and out. He wasn't the type to listen to premonitions and the like – he left that sort of thing to Zelda – but he couldn't quite shake the feeling that all was not well.

A flutter of wings made him look up. The messenger bird landed on the wall before him, cawed, and shook its stick-thin leg. Parchment had been tied there. Rusl unwrapped it carefully and squinted in the fading light to read. He felt a little bit of his tension seep away.

"News?"

Rusl turned. It was Sahasrahla.

"Good news," the captain replied with a smile. "It's from Midna. They've almost got them."

The old man nodded. "Send a message back. Tell them not to bring the princess home."

Rusl cocked an eyebrow. "No?"

"They should accompany them both to the breach," Sahasrahla explained. "There's no point them wasting any more time."

"We can't just leave the princess out –" The captain paused, considering. His sense of foreboding grew. "What's happened, Sahasrahla? Why the sudden urgency?"

"Gerudo desert."

Captain Rusl frowned. "What is that?"

The old man looked up at him. "What is what?"

"A...desert," Rusl replied.

"A desert is a vast expanse of sand," Sahasrahla said in a patient voice. "Hyrule used to have one. It was populated by a race known as the Gerudo. You don't remember it - or them - because it's gone now."

Rusl felt his skin prickle. The breeze picked up, whistling against the stone face of the castle. "Gone," he repeated.

"And worse," Sahasrahla said. "If you go to where the desert was, all you see now is an immense, empty nothingness."

The captain hated being in the dark like this. Hated mystical riddles, too. Still, he asked, "Nothingness?"

"A void," the old man said. "Like the night. There are stars, too. You look up, and you see them. You look down, and there they are."

A cold breeze blew once again. Rusl shivered. Now other regrets began to pile up within him, like Telma, the serving girl he'd once fallen in love with, the one he'd walked away from just to do his duty to the princess. He wondered where she was now. He hoped she was happy.

"What is happening, Sahasrahla?"

"Hyrule is dying, Captain," the old man replied. "All the worlds are collapsing into each other." His voice dropped to a tremble. "The dying of the light."

Rusl was surprised to see tears rolling down Sahasrahla's wrinkled face.

"What can I do?" he asked.

"I suggest you send your reply to the Tracker post-haste."

The captain nodded. If only Link had listened. If only he hadn't made it so hard.

Rusl placed a hand on the stone wall and stared out across the land. He wasn't going to let the world end on his watch. Again the feeling of dread anticipation curdled in his gut, and again his thoughts turned to Ralis.

Captain Rusl had the sinking sensation that the Zora prince was about to do something incredibly rash.

* * *

Night had fallen by the time Zelda and Link found the town. It wasn't as close as she'd thought - that, or Link had lost his way a bit trying to find it. Serves him right for wearing that strange mask all the way here.

A tall wall encircled the town, with helmeted guards patrolling the ramparts above. It hadn't kept them out, though. One teleportation spell later and both found themselves crouched in a ditch of dry, brittle grass. They took in their surroundings.

It was like no place she'd ever seen. Lanterns illuminated the whole place with a piercing light that almost rivalled the stars above. From what she could see, they didn't even burn oil. They seemed to burn of their own accord, giving off a strong stench that reminded her of marshland.

The buildings were a curious mix of wood and steel. Men carried the strange metallic tube weapons, and every so often they would sidle off to one of the small sheds dotted around the town and draw out some powder and small pellets.

Wagons and carts with huge wooden wheels puttered along under their own steam - literally. She saw smoke pour out from odd-looking contraptions strapped to the underside of each and every one. None of them even needed a horse.

The strangest thing was that everything outside of the town's wall were places and features she recognised as being on the path to Snowpeak.

"This isn't Hyrule," she said. Another one of the wagons chugged along nearby. "I mean, this town, these people - they really aren't from here."

Link nodded. "I think I know what's happened."

"The breach," she said in a low, soft voice as the realisation hit her. "It's replaced my people...the people from Larn...with this one from another world."

"Looks like it," Link replied. "These people are probably none the wiser. The Bridge of Eldin would have kept them out from the rest of Hyrule."

Crickets chirped in song under cover of the night. Zelda clenched her teeth, fury bubbling insider her. Without even realising it, her hand dropped to the Dragmire. A flicker of movement caught her eye. Link, shifting uncomfortably.

Zelda didn't care. Let him try and stop her. These people in this town lived while hers vanished...? They _dared_ …?

Her fingers curled around the magical stone. Zelda was the ruler of Hyrule. It was on her generosity alone that people were allowed to live in her land. She clutched the Dragmire stone so hard that she felt she would split skin.

She saw Link reach out to her, but she spun away.

"Don't," she said.

Zelda's rage dissolved as a sudden wave of fatigue took over. It was all too much.

She'd used up her magic as well. First against those bounty hunters - as Link had called them – and then the effort of teleporting them both in here. She was drained, her magical energy empty. Her eyes closed for a moment -

And she felt the temperature plummet. She saw the strange lanterns in the town flicker all at once. A prickle ran up Zelda's spine.

"Ha," said a floating voice. "Ha-ha-ha-ha."

Zelda's saw Link's face darken, saw the muscles tense under his shirt.

"I can _see_ you," the Smiling Man cackled.

"What do you want?" Zelda demanded.

"Just to let you know I'm getting closer. Ha. Ha-ha-ha-ha."

Zelda was going to speak again, but Link cut in.

"Good," he said, hands balling into fists. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Aww," the Smiling Man replied. "Did I hurt your little feelings? But here you are, on the way to the Breach of Black Glass. You just needed a little prod. Just like the prod I gave your girl. Ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha."

Zelda saw Link's strained face and suddenly knew why.

"You..." she breathed, addressing the unseen presence. "You killed her." A flood of unexpected emotions overwhelmed her. "You monster."

"Oh, look at the two of you," the Smiling Man cackled. "Best of friends now, are we? Shame. Speaking of monsters - tell me, princess. When you kill all those innocent people through the breach, are you going to stay to watch? Hmm? What do you think, Silver Mask?"

"Owl," said Link.

Zelda threw him a curious glance. "What?"

"Ow-" He shook his head. "Never mind."

Link unhooked his crossbow from his belt, aimed, and fired. Zelda saw the bolt shoot past her before striking an owl nearby.

The lanterns flickered again. Zelda felt the Smiling Man's presence vanish. She frowned.

"He sees through the owls," Link explained.

"All of them?"

Link nodded. "Every single one."

Rain began to spatter the ground. Zelda was about to ask more when panicked shouts made them both look up. The townsfolk were running this way and that. It seemed they had some unwelcome visitors. She stood, straining on the tips of her toes to see.

Zelda felt her chest tighten.

It was Prince Ralis.

* * *

It was the Behemoth.

Link saw his one-time Game opponent cut his way through the town, smashing carts and punching anyone that got too close.

The Behemoth looked bigger than Link remembered. His eyes had glassed over, too. Link recognised the effect instantly.

Red Potion. A huge amount of the stuff.

The Behemoth's beefy arm snaked out to grasp a woman by the head. He lifted her off the ground, and shook and shook her until she stopped screaming and fell limp.

Link stood up, his hand dropping to his crossbow. He saw Beth and her father stride out of a nearby building, another one of those metal weapons – a gun, he remembered they called it - in the older man's hand. Charles aimed and fired. The Behemoth jerked as the projectile hit, then turned back with a grin.

He was completely unharmed. The Behemoth heaved a cart onto his shoulders, then threw it straight through the old man. Charles flew through the window, catching Colin who was standing there behind him. Beth's screams mixed with the sound of shattered glass.

Another cart went flying, this time ploughing into one of the small sheds filled with some strange powder. Whatever it contained was volatile as it ignited, spilling flames onto the hapless townsfolk. More shrill screams pierced the night air.

Link's mouth dried. They were getting slaughtered.

"Stay here," he said to Zelda. "Stay out of sight."

"What? Where are you…?"

Her voice had already faded behind him. Link strode straight past Prince Ralis – the Zora recognised him and began snarling obscenities – and unhooked his crossbow. His mind shrank into a razor-sharp tunnel, this time all without relying on the Red Potion. Thought vanished. Instinct took over.

He spotted one of the horseless carts heading toward the Behemoth. Link leapt onto it, ignoring the driver's protests, and fired off two shots. Both bolts bounced off the big man's thick skin and spun away through the rain. Link re-latched his crossbow.

"Don't deviate," he said to the driver.

"Sir," the man protested. "We are heading straight for that uncouth ruffian,"

Link drew his sword. Raindrops spattered against the polished steel. "Do not change course."

The driver's face blanched and he nodded.

Flames flickered at the corner of Link's vision as the cart drew closer. Molten light ran down the sharp edge of his blade. At the very last moment, he jumped, bringing a two-handed overhead swing straight down – right into the Behemoth's open palm. It struck with a dull smack.

With a grin, the big man pushed Link away, then swung in with his fist. Link floated out of his grasp, sheathed his sword and, with pure desperation now driving him on, hit a quick left, right, left combo to the brute's face.

The Behemoth hit him straight back with a punch that sent his neck into a vicious whip. Link staggered away. A second punch cracked his ribs. And another. The last punch sent him to the ground.

Link tried to crawl, tried even harder to catch his breath. This was nowhere near the same as their first fight. Who had done this to the gamer...? Blood pooled onto the ground beneath Link's face. It mixed with the rainwater now falling hard onto his back.

An unfamiliar feeling stirred in Link's soul. Fear. He was going to die.

Another scream hurtled toward his ears. With one swollen eye, Link looked up. The Behemoth had Beth between his meaty palms. He began to squeeze. Her face flushed red, her cries becoming incoherent gurgles.

Link dragged himself to his feet. If this was the only good he could do in his life, then so be it. He hoped it would be enough to wipe away the stain of all his previous failures.

Link tried to stagger forward -

When a curved dagger bit into the Behemoth's shoulder. He grunted in annoyance and dropped Beth. She lay there, paralysed by fear.

"Go," Link croaked with a limp wave of his arm.

His voice broke Beth out of her reverie. She scrambled away.

With one huge hand, the Behemoth reached over to grasp at his assailant. It was Elias, the bounty hunter. The big man raised him by the wrist then brought him around to dangle in front of his face. He twisted.

Elias grit his teeth as he desperately tried to hang on. The steel of his dagger trembled. The Behemoth squeezed harder. And harder.

Elias screamed as a sharp crack rang out.

The Behemoth then threw the hunter into the air, caught him by the throat, then drove him headfirst into the ground.

Elias lay still.

More of the townsfolk started firing their guns, flashes of orange flame bursting through the air. The Behemoth, unperturbed, ignored them all and slowly turned in Link's direction.

The young Hylian stared back, gasping for breath.

"I don't lose," the Behemoth growled. "I never lose. We finish this now."

* * *

Ralis had seen her. And the dark look in his eyes told Zelda he wasn't here to rescue her.

 _Then why has he come?_

She had no magic. No weapons.

She had to run.

"No!" Ralis snarled as he leapt over some overturned crates. "Come back here!"

Zelda made a break for it. The prince gave chase. She didn't know which way to go, but she just knew she had to run. So much for her disguise.

The Zora, lithe and athletic, was at her heels within moments. Zelda could feel the tips of his fingers grasp at the back of her tunic. She caught a fleeting glimpse of Link and felt her heart lurch. His face had already been bloodied.

Another shed erupted in flame. Zelda felt a wave of pure heat knock her off-balance.

Ralis pounced.

He caught her by her left wrist. Zelda used the momentum to twist around and slap him with her free hand.

He pushed her to the ground with a rough shove, tearing part of her brown tunic. Zelda snarled, and tried to sweep her leg into his. It had no effect. Instead he stepped down hard on her ankle. Zelda yelled. It wasn't broken, but she was struck fast under his weight. He kicked her other leg out.

Zelda's eyes widened as she realised what he was trying to do. She tried to desperately call on her magic. A faint echo responded, but it wasn't enough.

Ralis looked down at her with cold, soulless black eyes, one side of his face cast in a fiery glare. The newborn fire crackled, popping as it spat sparks into the night. More lonely raindrops fell hissing onto the flames. Burning embers fluttered aimlessly behind the Zora prince's head, glowing orange under the starlit sky.

"I think it's time I took what's mine," he said, curling a finger under his belt. He began to undo it.

Zelda's face locked into a defiant glare. "You'll suffer for this, Ralis," she snapped.

"Not after you will, my dear."

Zelda didn't see the punch coming. An explosion of pain struck her as her head cracked the ground. The world spun. Everything felt too hot - the air, her face, everything. She looked up at him, saw his body tremble.

"What's the matter, Ralis?" she said. "Losing your nerve?"

"Shut up," he spat. "Shut up. Shut up. _Shut up!_ "

Zelda didn't know why she was goading him. She didn't care. Hate and rage warred in her heart. There was no way she would show him any fear.

Ralis stepped down harder on her ankle. She grit her teeth against the pain.

The Zora prince cast his belt aside. "Here in the dirt will have to do," he went on "I would have preferred a soft bed, scented candles and a warm room, but this is what you chose." His expression hardened. "Remember that. Everything that happens from this moment on is all on your –"

The air rocked with an immense _boom_. Zelda had to jerk her head away, eyes scrunched shut. When she opened them again, she saw Ralis staggering away with eyes wide, a thin curl of smoke trailing from the back of his head. He collapsed face-first into the ground. The ground turned dark as his blood seeped into it.

Zelda scrambled backward, then looked up. It was the female bounty hunter. She stood there, face unreadable. One of those strange weapons was cradled in her hands.

"That one's for free," she said.

Zelda pulled herself shakily to her feet. The two women locked gazes. With a nod, the bounty hunter lowered her weapon and walked away.

The princess looked down. An angry bruise ached on the spot where Ralis had torn her clothes. Her tunic was flecked with his blood, her cheek swollen from where he'd hit her. Her eyes dropped to her husband's unmoving corpse.

An ice-cold stone beat within her chest. There was nothing for her to say. She stepped over him just as she felt the familiar surge of magical energy grow within her. It was back.

She was ready.

* * *

The Behemoth stood, his muscles coiled, then sprung outward with a roundhouse kick. Link flew back, flailing like a rag doll, then ploughed into the ground, wet mud spraying from the impact. The big man wasn't done yet. As Link dragged himself to his feet yet again, the Behemoth ran in, catching the young Hylian with a knee to the gut, then another swift kick to the chin.

Link hit the ground. He couldn't give up. He shouldn't. He tried to get up again, but fell to one knee before he was even fully upright. His body trembled as he wheezed. It was only because of the stored remnants of Red Potion that he was even alive right now.

Link stopped. He sensed his opponent right behind him. A push to the back of Link's head sent his face into the wet sludge of the ground. He couldn't even resist anymore.

The Behemoth chuckled. "You should've killed me when I asked you to."

Link tensed, waiting – and then felt the full weight of the Behemoth's boot come down onto his spine.

Agonising pain burned through him. Link screamed. His mind shrieked in kind, breaking free of his icy self-control, egging him to go, get away, move.

But he couldn't.

He tried again.

Link couldn't feel his legs.

Fear ran through his veins like icy water. He dug his fingernails into the dirt and tried to drag himself away. Pain clamped down in a tight knot in the small of his back.

"Over," the Behemoth gloated. "It's over."

"It is."

Link raised his trembling head.

 _Zelda. That was Zelda's voice._

Darkness pooled at the corner of Link's sight. He caught a glimpse of a vivid emerald flash, heard the Behemoth first yell, then spit curses in the princess's direction. Boots thumped against the ground.

 _He's coming back!_

Link stopped himself from tensing up. He knew his body would go into excruciating spasms if he did so. He felt Zelda's cool touch on his face.

Space and time stretched. Reality rippled. The air shifted.

Princess Zelda teleported them both away just as Link blacked out.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Princess Zelda drifted in and out of consciousness. Her ears pricked at the gentle sound of sloshing water. Sleep tugged at her, enticing her with its warm embrace. A memory sprouted from the darkness, faint at first, then slowly becoming more vivid. In it, she was just fifteen...

"Now, listen carefully, princess," a woman's voice - kind and gentle - said. "This is a very unique spell."

Zelda knelt on a rug before a popping log fire, her hands on her knees as she waited in eager anticipation. Myrka, her tutor in magic, sat in a chair before her.

"The Spell of Healing," Myrka with a gentle smile. "Do you know what makes it so special?"

Zelda shook her head. Her breathing slowed. She'd always been in awe of her teacher.

"Well," said Myrka. "In this spell, you take a piece of your very own soul." She smiled, wrinkles creasing around her grey eyes. "A tiny sliver of it. You pull it free and pour it into the person you want to restore."

Zelda clutched her knees. "Teach it to me. _Please._ "

Myrka looked doubtful. "You can only ever use it once in your life, princess," she said. "More than that would be dangerous. Can I trust you with this...?"

Zelda nodded vigorously. "You can, you can!"

The smile returned to the tutor's face. Her long brown hair shivered as she chuckled. "Very well."

And they went through the spell: first the shifting of the mind into the right state _just so_ , then the words, then the drawing out of the splinter of soul that would be used for the healing. Zelda listened in rapt attention. She barely even noticed that the side of her face closest to the fire was far too hot, while the other said was deeply cold.

As soon as Myrka was done, Zelda sprang to her feet. "Thank you. Thank you so much!"

Myrka frowned. "Princess, where are you going? Our lesson isn't done yet."

"I'll be back," Zelda replied, spinning toward the door. "I promise!"

"Princess, come back. Zelda!"

But she was already gone, running down the corridors of the castles, startling the nobles and leaving the maids and scullions befuddled. She burst out into the castle's courtyard, her shoes slapping against the stone floor, then flitted through the gardens, dodged Keeper Dampe and entered the hushed space of the Royal Graveyard.

Zelda dropped in front of her mother's resting place. A bat-like Keese eyed her from the top of the elaborate marble headstone, its leathery wings wrapped around itself.

Squeezing her eyes tight, she worked the spell. She muttered the words, and pushed and pushed with her mind and soul.

Nothing happened.

Zelda's eyes stung as she tried again.

Still nothing.

A soft, kindly voice spoke. "You can't raise the dead, princess."

She turned. It was Myrka. Tears were rolling down Zelda's cheeks. She fell into her teacher's outstretched arms.

"Hush, child," she said, stroking the princess's hair. "Let's go home."

Zelda began sobbing and Myrka held her tight. "You had the right idea, dear," her tutor whispered. "When the time comes to use the spell, make sure it is for someone special."

The memory dwindled away and the adult Princess Zelda opened her eyes. She was in a small wooden boat, floating on a river of crystal blue water. Link was slumped against the gunwale, his legs stretched out in front of him. His eyes were closed, his face swollen.

Zelda reached out to touch him. A tight knot untied deep in Zelda's gut as she realised he was still breathing. It was shallow, but it was there. His skin burned with fever and was slick with sweat.

The princess didn't know how she'd teleported them into this particular boat, and right now she didn't care. The Spell of Healing. Now was the time.

Her shoulders sagged, her eyes felt heavy. She just couldn't summon the energy. Her reserve of magic was as dry as a well in a deep drought.

And she felt so, _so_ tired...

...

Zelda's eyes jerked open.

How long had she slept?

Link was still unconscious but had now slipped down to lie on his side. His chest rose and fell. Dried blood had crusted over his mouth.

Zelda looked out over the river. A forest crowded both banks, with some trees leaning out with thick palm leaves that almost touched each other as the river flowed beneath. Pink blossom floated on the gentle water. The river itself seemed to radiate a faint sapphire glow.

A bird called in a deep, low voice. Zelda looked around, trying to see if any owls were present. She let out a long breath in relief when she saw that there wasn't.

She had to do something while she waited for her magic to return.

Zelda tore strip from Link's cloak, then dipped it into the river water, letting her hand trail there for a few moments. She then gently pressed it against Link's brow. He winced in his sleep.

"Shhh," she whispered.

Zelda wondered what Myrka would think of this. The princess was ready to use the Spell of Healing, not for someone special, but on her kidnapper instead. She'd heard of stories of victims becoming attached to their captors, and had scoffed at them at the time. This wasn't like that. She was in desperate need and -

 _And he'd fed me. Kept me dry from the rain. Saved me from myself at the Bridge of Eldin._

"Don't think," Link mumbled in a thick voice. "Go out of your mind...and trust."

He was clearly delirious. Zelda continued to press, trying to draw the heat from his skin, then dipped the makeshift rag into the river again and began to wipe away all the dried blood.

She gazed down at his face. Even though the people of the strange town weren't Hylian, Link had almost fought to the death to protect them. And it had been one of those same people - the bounty hunter woman from another world - that had saved her from Ralis.

 _Has it been me who was in the wrong all this time?_

Growing up surrounded by scheming nobles who plotted and planned to seize a scrap of influence, Zelda hadn't expected much from people in general. Her mother dead at the hands of foreigners, Sahasrahla's warning of external threats sticking to her heart, she'd never expected to meet anyone who didn't cradle some hidden ulterior motive.

She remembered her words to the Smiling Man _: I_ _would dearly love to find that rare heart free from all these taints, but I haven't_.

Had she now?

 _If I have, then I'm about to lose him._

Zelda closed her eyes tight. Where was her magic? Where was her damn -

She gasped awake. Dawn's crimson light crept through the retreating night sky. Had she slept through one night...or many...?

Zelda felt the faint thrum of magic pulsing in her veins. It was back - not as strong as before, but it was definitely back.

It was time.

She reached forward, both her hands trembling, to touch Link's face. He was cold.

 _He's slipping away._

Zelda tried to keep the thoughts at bay, but she couldn't. She remembered the crushing weight of disappointment when she'd been unable to bring her mother back from death. An echo of that darkness now pressed upon her heart.

The princess closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. Her lips moved in silent incantations. She clenched her jaw in pain as she drew a needle-thin shard of her own soul - she visualised it as a sliver of smoke - and _pushed_ it toward Link. It billowed out over him.

The sensory world faded completely as a wave of pure energy washed over her. She was submerged, drowning, her entire being dissolving in a sea of white-hot focus.

Finally, she fell back exhausted, her work done. A film of cold sweat coated her skin. The world began to spin before her eyes. As sleep took her again, Princess Zelda noticed with some dismay that Link still hadn't woken up...

Two people came to her in her dreams. It was Link and herself - but different. They both seemed younger, their eyes brimming with optimism and hope.

"Your path is askew," the Dream Link said.

"The Hero of Time speaks truly," the other Zelda replied. She had large, oval eyes filled with serenity. "You have to rise above your pain."

"I do!" the real Zelda snapped back.

Her doppelganger wore a sad smile. "Do you...?" She blinked slowly. "Rust covers the kindness of your heart. It is stained."

"Stained by what, exactly...?"

The Dream Zelda raised her hand. Nestled in her palm sat the pulsing red form of the Dragmire.

They both blurred out of existence, replaced by a red-eyed man - or woman, Zelda couldn't quite tell - garbed in blue with bandages around the bottom half of the face. The figure gently strummed a harp.

"You are Princess Zelda," the stranger said. "Stop hiding who you really are."

Zelda flew awake at the screech of the boat running aground. She looked over at Link. He was laying eerily still, his eyes still closed, his chest perfectly level.

Her heart fell like a stone.

It hadn't worked. She'd failed. Just like with her mother, she had failed.

There was no fanfare, no heroic last stand. Real life wasn't so melodramatic.

Despair crept in at the corner of her mind. She tried to push it away. She had to make sure first. Or see if there was something on his person - a secret trinket or something - that could aid her against the Breach of Black Glass. She would go alone if she had to. Zelda began crawling toward the corpse. -

"Look, pretty pretty."

The princess looked up at the sound of the voice. A pair of creatures approached, walking upright like men, but each with a head of a walrus, long tusks aged and yellow. They each carried a spear. The sharp metal sitting atop each one dull and rusted.

 _Swampmen_. Zelda knew about them from her studies as a child, when she was obliged to learn about all the myriad races of Hyrule. The Swampmen were a wild tribe, who didn't pledge themselves to anyone. They were cowards, too. If only she had the strength to be able to scare them off.

"Yes, pretty pretty," the other one replied. "Dinner, it is, yes it is."

And that was when Zelda recalled the most important lesson she'd learned about them - they loved to eat flesh, both Hylian and animal.

The Swampmen towered over her. She was too tired and her heart was sore. Drained of magic and with fatigue tempting her into sleep once again, Zelda felt that she could just give up. After all, her only means of manipulating the breach was now gone. She didn't care what the Swampmen did to her.

"Skewer it good," one of the creatures said. "Yes, pretty pretty."

The other Swampman raised his spear. Sunlight coated him in a sharp, golden glow. Zelda slumped back.

 _Just too tired..._

It was over. She had lost.

The princess flinched as the spear came rushing down. Her eyes closed and -

A metallic shimmer echoed through the air. Zelda opened her eyes to see the flat side of a trembling blade between her and the spear.

Zelda drew in a sharp breath. Her lips broke into a smile.

Clutching the side of the boat, Link unsteadily pulled himself up, pushing the spear up with his sword.

"Run, pretty pretty," the Swampman who hadn't attacked said, clutching at the sleeve of the other. "This one has a sharp stick!"

"You're not going anywhere," Link croaked.

Zelda glanced at the two creatures, saw what was swimming in their eyes. "Let them go, Link."

"Yes, yes," the Swampmen squealed in unison. "Let us go."

Link looked at her, his face a mixture of surprise and...something else. Something...softer.

"Are you sure, princess?" he asked.

She looked at the creatures again. Despite being quite capable of taking them both, the Swampmen looked petrified.

"Yes."

Link lowered his blade. The Swampmen turned and ran, branches snapping under their hasty exit.

Sheathing his sword, Link stepped out of the boat, and limped over to a nearby tree. He rested against its trunk. Weak morning sunlight fell across his face.

Zelda watched him as she followed out of the boat, her heart swirling with emotions she couldn't quite untangle.

"It'll take time," she said. "For your back to fully heal."

Link wiped his brow with his sleeve. "I don't understand how it healed in the first place. I couldn't even move my legs." He blinked. "I need to build up my strength. Or else we won't be so lucky the next time they catch up to us."

"Don't rush," said Zelda in a gentle voice. "Don't strain yourself."

Link took in her words, then something in his expression changed. "You..." he breathed. "You healed me, didn't you...?"

The princess didn't reply to that. Instead, she said, "We could've run. Back at the town. Why did you fight...? Why did you protect them...?"

"I...don't know," he replied. "I didn't really think about it. I just did it."

Zelda let her gaze linger on him. "You really want to close the breach to save Hyrule...?"

"What did you think I wanted...?"

The princess shrugged. "Self-glory. The thrill. The adulation of pretty maidens. The typical things men seek." She smiled to soften her tone, then echoed his words back to him, "I didn't really think about it."

"My friend was killed." Link looked down. "One death was enough." He shook his head. "Anyway." He frowned. "Prince Ralis. He was there. Back at that town."

Zelda arched an eyebrow."You recognised him?"

"I've seen the pictographs of your wedding, princess."

"Oh," she said. "He's dead now."

Link looked up at her in surprise. "I'm sorry for your loss," he said.

"Don't be." Zelda returned his gaze. "He and I weren't..." She shook her head, eager to change the subject. "Your friend. What was her name?"

"Ilia."

"Will you tell me about her?"

Link slid down the trunk to sit down on the grass and dirt. "Only if you tell me about what happened between you and the Smiling Man."

Zelda sighed. "It's a long story," she said. "It started with a Faronite delegation to my father. And ended with the passing of my mother. Or maybe that's where it all began. With my mother..."

"Then tell me about her," said Link. "And I'll tell you about Ilia."

Princess Zelda considered this for a moment, then with a smile, she nodded. She began to speak.

When they were both done with their stories, the sun had already dipped past its peak.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

A masked Link strode across the flat stone roof of the building, dropping into a crouch just before he reached the edge. Link unhooked the crossbow from his belt, wiped the lens of the scope with a rag, then raised the sight to his eye.

Link hissed as he felt a spasm of pain in his lower back – it was still sore from his injury a few weeks back. As the pain faded, Link peered through the scope again.

The faint outline of the Snowpeak range stood in the distance, dominating his line of sight. Link brought the scope down to search through the people – mostly servants of the rich – walking the streets of the town called Little Riko. He focused in on a thin man with reddish-brown hair.

' _Hanch,'_ said Fi.

Link swung the scope to the right. Steps led up to a two-storey house. He peered in closer. A strange looking device was attached to the varnished front door. It displayed numbered buttons. A combination lock to keep out unwanted guests. Link knew this because he'd already tried to get in. And for his troubles he'd been stung by a bee; a hive having taken nest just above the door.

Princess Zelda lounged against a wall to the left of the steps. She was dressed in all black travel gear now. They had decided now that they were here in the last spot of civilisation before the trek to Snowpeak, a change of clothes would be appropriate. Link himself was also dressed in black, but his outfit was trimmed with a rich, slightly dark blue for contrast.

He let the scope linger on the princess. She'd kept her hair short, though it was now trimmed more neatly. Black hair dye had replaced the brown. Zelda smiled at people passing by. It lit up her usually stern-looking face.

' _Are you done sightseeing?'_ said Fi.

Link brought the scope back onto Hanch. ' _This is him, then?'_ he said. ' _He has a map to the temple?'_

 _'That's what I know,'_ Fi replied. ' _What was left in my memory, rather._ '

It turned out that Zelda hadn't exactly been truthful. She knew the way to Snowpeak, but the actual location of the temple was something she'd planned to discover when on location. Fi, on the other hand, had piped up, saying she knew someone who had the missing information they needed. Link had had no choice - despite the risk that this could be another scheme from the Smiling Man, he'd decided to act on Fi's advice.

Hanch trotted up the steps to the house. Link twisted the scope to focus in. The other man punched in something on the combination lock.

 _'11-19-06,'_ said Fi.

Zelda smiled and waved at the man. Hanch, flattered, returned the gesture. As he did so, he slipped a key into the lock. He didn't notice the faint green glow spilling from the hole.

 _'The princess has it,'_ said Fi.

Link shifted his attention to the window looking in on the top floor. A large woman in a state of undress lay on a narrow bed. Link frowned - there was something familiar about her. Hanch entered the room after a few minutes, knocking the door shut with the sole of his boot, then made his way to the woman and began pawing away.

Link had seen enough. He stood, then made his way to a steel staircase attached to the side of the building. He walked down, setting the steps under his boots into a metallic shiver.

' _He'll be done by the time you get to the princess,'_ said Fi. ' _Actually, probably sooner._ '

Head bowed, Link made his way through the people and headed toward Princess Zelda.

Fi was right. The mystery woman was already making her way down the steps when Link reached the princess. He still couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he knew the woman.

Still. It didn't matter now.

"Ready?" Link said to the princess.

Zelda unclenched her fist. An exact replica of Hanch's key lay in her palm. "Simplicity itself," she said. "Lead the way."

Link pulled off his mask. He made his way to the door, punched in the code, and slipped in the key. He kept a wary eye on the angry buzzing of the bees above.

The door swung open, squeaking on its hinges. Link held it as Princess Zelda gracefully climbed the steps and went inside. His sword hung from her waist. Fi had protested about that. He was being too trusting, she said. Maybe he was.

Link followed the princess in, letting the door shut behind him. Inside, they were faced with a wooden staircase. Loud snoring echoed from above. The floorboards shook from the noise.

Wearing expressions of deadly seriousness, Link and Zelda exchanged glances, then with a mutual nod made their way up. The snoring was loudest behind a particular door on the upper floor. Link, crossbow in hand, tested the doorknob. It twisted easily.

Opening the bed revealed Hanch asleep in his bed, his nakedness covered by a thin blanket.

Perfect. Now they knew he had no place to hide a weapon.

Link aimed his crossbow as Zelda walked around him.

"Wake up," she said in a commanding voice.

The man groaned, drool spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Zelda tried again. " _Wake. Up._ "

Hanch slowly opened his eyes - and then sat bolt upright as he realised he wasn't alone.

"What-?" he mumbled "Who...?"

"Easy now," said Link.

Hanch's eyes widened at the sight of the crossbow. "What do you want?"

Link's face stayed impassive. "Information."

Zelda picked up the thread. "We've heard you have a map to the temple on Snowpeak."

"The City in the Sky? There's nothing in there. I've checked." Hanch looked at Zelda. "Wait, weren't you just out-"

"Nevertheless," said Zelda. "If you hold your life in any value, you'll give us the map."

Hanch stared at Link and his crossbow. Link didn't even flinch.

"It's over there," Hanch said, pointing with a trembling finger to a chest of drawers. "Second drawer down. I-I always leave my important paperwork there."

"Watch him," said Zelda.

Link kept his crossbow trained on the man as Zelda walked over to the drawer, opened it, and checked the contents. She pulled out a parchment. Glancing over her shoulder, the princess gave Link a nod in confirmation.

"You're insane," said Hanch. "Both of you. Insane, if you're thinking of going up Snowpeak."

Zelda turned to him. "And why is that?"

"Haven't you heard? The worm's up there. And it's awake."

Link's brow knitted. "Worm?"

"Dragon, m'boy," Hanch replied, chin raised in defiance. "Argorok the dragon."

"Thanks for the warning."

Link pulled the trigger. The dart struck Hanch in the neck. His eyes rolled to their whites, then he slumped to the side, breathing softly.

Link had exchanged bolts for darts for this particular exercise. They'd found a potion seller on their travels, and darts tipped in sleeping potion had been the daily deal of the day. Zelda had insisted Link buy them.

Link pulled the tiny shaft free. There wasn't a mark on Hanch. Anyone who found the man now would just assume he'd been sleeping all along. As Zelda rolled up the parchment, Link put the dart back into his pouch. The Tracker – Midna - must know a potion seller as well. It was her signature weapon, after all.

Soon, they were back outside, Zelda's brow furrowed as she examined the map in her hands. They turned a corner - and almost walked straight into Hanch's mystery woman.

She started at the sight of them, then peered, her painted eyelids blinking. "Link...?"

Finally, Link realised why she seemed so familiar. "Sera."

Her lips split into a wide grin. "Linky!" she cooed. "I can't believe you're here!"

Zelda slowly looked up from the map. "Friend of yours?"

"Sera," said Link in a neutral voice, ignoring the princess. "How did you get here?"

"Oh, came here months ago," Sera said with a chuckle. "And got stuck after that nasty business with the Bridge of Eldin. But I hear that's all cleared up now. Anyway. Business got a little boring down there in Kakariko. Especially after you stopped visiting."

Link glared at Sera. He cleared his throat. He really wanted to be out of here. "I'm glad you're well."

Sera snorted, then gave Link a mock punch to the shoulder. "So formal," she said. "Not the Link I remember. My, the passion you used to show. And the noise." She leaned over to wink at Zelda. "Just like a kitty. So adorable. I actually had to buy myself a cat and call it 'Link."

Zelda looked away.

Link wore a very strained expression. "I was young and stupid."

"Honey, you're still young," Sera replied. "And probably still stupid." Her voice dropped. "But if you can pay, and lose your lady friend..." A smile crept over her scarlet-painted lips. "Well, who knows...?"

"I can still hear you," said Zelda in an icy voice.

"I'm...not here for that," said Link. He glanced at the princess. "In fact, I'm won't be going back to it. Ever."

Sera looked from Link to Zelda and back to Link. Her glistening lips split into another sly smile. "Shame," she said as she moved away. "Be seeing you, honey."

Link broke into a fast walk before Zelda could say anything. Feeling mortified, he decided to stare straight ahead. It was no use. He could see Zelda's face slowly creep into his line of sight as she leaned in close.

"Just when I thought I had worked you out," she said. Her lips were pressed into a thin smile – she was trying hard to stop herself from laughing.

Link felt even worse now. He met her gaze. "We do stupid things when -"

"Ah" she cut him off, holding up a finger. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. It's none of my business."

Link blinked. He didn't know why, but he felt a bit slighted by her dismissive attitude.

"Right," Zelda said, dodging the folk that thronged the streets at this time of day. "A dragon. Do you think he was telling the truth? His eyes didn't seem trustworthy to me. And this map…"

Her words trailed off, and she was lost in her own thoughts as she studied the parchment again. Things had...changed between the two of them over the past few weeks. Zelda didn't seem as keen on waiting for her men to rescue her. Instead, she seemed to genuinely want to work with Link to find the breach.

 _But only to use the Dragmire._

Link supressed a sigh. That thing was a shadow over the two of them, tarring their fledgling friendship. And he felt they _could_ be friends – as much as royalty could with a common man – if it wasn't for her determination to use the stone.

He had a vague understanding of her reasons, having learned of her mother's murder and how that had affected her. But he just couldn't agree with them.

And yet…

Princess Zelda had healed him. He knew why she'd done it, but he still couldn't help but feel warm gratitude in her presence. In return, she had been less harsh toward him and sometimes - if his imagination wasn't playing tricks on him - he'd catch her gazing at him intently from the corner of his eye.

All in all, she wasn't as bad as he'd first thought she was. Maybe Ilia had been right. She'd been the one who had suggested at the connection between him and the princess.

 _Illy…_

Link blinked away the faint echo of grief still tugging at his heart and refocussed. He had to talk Zelda out of using the Dragmire; he just didn't know how. Every time he'd tried to bring up the subject, she had swiftly brought an end to any conversation.

Link just didn't want to fight anymore. Not with anyone. A seed had been planted from his experiences this past month, and it grown into a yearning, and then an ache. A yearning for peace.

That's why he didn't like talking. Words bled into arguments, and arguments led into blood.

No more fighting.

 _If only._

Link knew he still had to face the Behemoth again. Every night for the past few weeks he had dreamt of the searing pain of the monster's boot snapping his spine, the utter helplessness at not being able to move his legs.

Link had used the time since to build his body back up - exercises, runs, lifting himself up, supported only a thick tree branch. He wasn't trying to get as big as the Behemoth. He just was trying to tone certain parts of his arms and legs so that they would pack more power.

At least enough to stun the big man. Taking him down permanently - now that he seemed invincible - was another matter.

Link slowed down as a familiar prickle touched the back of his neck. He scanned the street, knowing well to trust his instincts.

Zelda noticed. "Link...?" she said. "What is it?"

Link took in the scene again, his mind working with furious speed. He stopped in front of a shop with a large window, then casually gestured down the street. "That man on the opposite side. Loitering."

"Suspicious?"

Link gave the barest hint of a nod. The man was dressed in a long robe, his dark braided hair hanging to his shoulders.

"And there's another," Link went on in a quiet voice. "Straight ahead of us. Resting against a cart. He was like that when we got here."

"I remember."

"This is a small town," Link explained. "It's the afternoon. If you're young like they are, you're either rich like Hanch, working, or out-of-town. And judging by their clothes, they're natives."

"And not too well off," Zelda added. A sudden gasp flew from her lips. "Link!"

He saw it.

'Loiterer' had pulled out a crossbow, aiming it in their general direction. He fired. Link pulled Zelda down into a forced duck as the top of the window behind them shattered. Panic overtook the nearby townsfolk. Another bolt flew, narrowly slitting the air next to Link's shoulder.

He hissed inwardly. _Sloppy. Got complacent. Out in the open in the daylight._

Link pulled the princess into a nearby alleyway. The second man was already firing his crossbow. But he wasn't aiming at the two of them - his bolts targeted the loiterer who dived out of the way. Bolts sliced through the canvas surrounding covered wagons and _pinged_ against the buildings. Men and women fell into screaming chaos.

"Get out of here, Renado," the second man shouted over the din to the loiterer. "This bounty's mine."

Link and Zelda exchanged glances.

"Bounty...?" said the princess. She closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "And just when I was beginning to become accustomed to the peace and quiet of the last few weeks."

Link took a peek out of the alley. An inn sat a few paces away. At this time of day, it should be mainly empty. "We need to get off this street," said Link.

"So the townsfolk don't catch a stray bolt."

Link smiled. She really hadn't been how he'd expected at all.

"They're not out to kill us," he replied. Link flipped the sleep dart cartridge from his crossbow and replaced it with the bolt one. "That first shot was meant to mi-"

"Zedd!" Renado yelled back. "Knew you were up to no good! I spotted them. This one's mine."

An explosion tore through the air, leaving a quickly receding echo.

"Wrong, boys," a new voice said. The stranger - a woman from the sound of it - stood in the centre of the street. She carried what Link now knew as a gun, the smoke seeping from the tip hiding her face. "I'm taking this bounty."

The smoke cleared. Both Link and Zelda recognised the new bounty hunter instantly.

It was Marie.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

The Behemoth dragged a large sack up to the top of the hill. A dark, wet trail followed behind. He stopped when he reached the peak, then looked down. The town of Little Riko lay below. Night was approaching, and the sky was smudged dark blue and grey.

"A bounty. What an insult."

The Behemoth ignored the Imp's words. He hated speaking to her anyway. He could never tell from what direction she was speaking. Especially now – there was no foliage here, so where was she hiding?

"I'm glad you agree," Midna continued in a light, dry voice. "Always a pleasure hearing your thoughts. So. When will you tell me your name? Your real name."

"This is it," he replied.

"The Behemoth?"

"Just Behemoth," he said. "This is me now."

"Cute."

Behemoth stopped himself from hissing in frustration. The little woman had a way of making him feel small.

A rabbit stood on its hind legs on a nearby rock, its whiskered nose twitching. A sleep dart flew past it, and it bolted. Behemoth hated that about her, too. Practice on people, not animals.

Behemoth pulled a wrinkled parchment from his travel pack. 'WANTED,' it declared. The boy Link's gamer pictograph was plastered under the headline. Ten thousand rupees was the reward. Upon capture, the poster read, Captain Rusl of Hyrule Castle was to be informed immediately by messenger bird and the captors were to await further instructions. None of the target's companions were to be harmed. The target himself could be hurt, but not killed.

 _Damn shame_ , Behemoth thought.

"We've been hauling this lump for weeks," Midna said, still unseen. "What are you doing?"

"I told you," Behemoth growled.

"The voice in your head you said."

"That's right," he replied. Flies buzzed around the sack. "I didn't ask you to come."

"Rusl said I should be your nursemaid, so here I am. I'm curious to see what you're up to." A smile entered her voice. "Don't worry. I'm not trying to stop you."

 _As if you could. An Imp versus the Behemoth? No contest._

The Red Potion had stripped him of all his doubts, all his weaknesses. His career as a petty thief paled in comparison the addictive power at his fingertips. His self-destructive thoughts had dissolved away. No one could stop him. Least of all Midna the Imp and her ineffective sleep darts.

That's why the Imp hadn't interfered when he'd almost crushed Link. Thanks to her loyalty to the Hylian captain, she was stuck with him. All she cared about was getting both the boy and the princess. It didn't matter what condition they were in, so long as they were breathing. That's also why she'd not done anything when Ralis had tried to have his way with the princess.

Thinking of the Zora prince reminded him of the task at hand. The Red Potion hadn't just expanded his body; it had expanded his mind and spirit as well. Now he heard words from the great beyond, whispered by a laughing angel.

He'd been told to bring the Zora's corpse here to the top of this particular hill. Behemoth stopped, and opened the sack. A foul, putrid stench emerged. Wriggling maggots followed, and he had to flick them away.

The laughing angel had compelled him to obey. Behemoth had even put aside his burning need to get even with Link.

"We're wasting our time," said Midna. "Rusl has a bounty out. That means he's lost trust in me. I can't accept that."

"Wait," Behemoth said. He looked down into the contents of the sack. Prince Ralis's freshly-decayed face stared back.

He pulled a Zora mask from his travel pack. It was strange. He'd found it one morning a few weeks back, just lying in the dirt. That's when the voices had begun.

Behemoth crouched down and placed the mask around Ralis's face. It was a half-mask and only covered the brow, eyes and nose. He stood, waiting.

"That's it?" said Midna. "That's what we've been waiting for since -"

The prince's body jerked. His chest sucked in breath in a long, wheezing hiss. Behemoth stepped back in shock.

The eyeholes of the mask began to glow white. Pus leaked out from beneath. A wide grin slowly spread over the visible half of Prince Ralis's face. Maggots spilled out from his mouth.

"Ha," the Zora said in a creaking whisper. "Ha-ha-ha-ha."

* * *

Link dived over the top of the worktop as Marie fired again. He crouched, Zelda already next to him, as bottles, pans and even vegetables hanging above exploded one by one, spraying glass splinters and sparks in all directions. Various coloured liquids fizzed to the floor.

They were in the kitchen of the inn Link had spotted in the street. The patrons and staff had fled. All that was left was Marie, the man named Renado, and his rival Zedd. And, of course, their prey - Link and Zelda.

Link swung up to his feet, crossbow clutched in both hands, and fired off a series of bolts. He snapped back down to his feet as the return fire came in, bolts and projectiles churning wood into chips and dust, and setting off sparks against metal.

Zelda spoke through clenched teeth. "I thought you said they didn't want to kill us."

"I thought _you_ said Marie saved you from Prince Ralis."

"I'm inclined to believe that the bounty on our heads has drowned her conscience."

"I think the bounty is just on _my_ head, princess," said Link as he refilled more bolts into the self-loading mechanism of his crossbow. "Or else you could just offer them more money to stop."

Another hail of bolts and projectiles thumped against the kitchen worktop, sending it into a shudder.

Zelda clutched her head. "I _could_ do that," she hissed as she peeked through her fingers. "But then I'd have to reveal who I am. And _then_ we'd have a host of people after us."

 _And it'd be the same if she used her magic, too. They'd know who she was._

At the same time, Link knew that if things got desperate, Princess Zelda wouldn't hesitate.

"The two men," he went on in a low voice. "They're not professionals. They'll be easier to take out."

They didn't get on, either.

"Keep to your mystical mumbo-jumbo, Renado," Zedd shouted. "This is real men's work."

"I wouldn't sully myself if it wasn't for a good cause," Renado replied in a surprisingly measured and calm voice. "There are people in dire need of this money."

"Link."

He turned at the sound of the princess's whispered voice. She was gesturing toward the far end of the room. Peeking out from behind a dusty pile of stacked crates was a door. A way out.

They heard the crunch of boot on glass. Zelda tapped Link on his arm, then raised a crystal dish that held half a block of now-melting butter.

Link didn't even bother to ask where she'd found that. He just nodded. Zelda smiled.

She gently placed the dish down by her right leg, then with a shove, slid it out into the open.

Link heard the crossbows and gun fire in that direction. A crash followed. He swung up again, saw that both Renado and Marie were facing the wrong way and that Zedd – amazingly – had slipped on the butter.

Link pulled the trigger. The first bolt hit Zedd in the shoulder. Link jerked to his right and fired again. Renado went down as well. Groans spilled into the air as blood spilled onto the floor.

Marie changed her stance and aimed. Link ducked back. A hail of mini-explosions followed. More glass shattered, more wood disintegrated.

Zelda touched Link's arm again. 'Wait,' she mouthed, then pointed at her eyes, and shrugged.

Link understood. He'd already scanned the layout of the kitchen in the brief times he'd popped up from behind the bench. He'd seen a labyrinth of other worktops, punctuated every so often by a clay oven. He nodded at the princess.

"Marie!" Zelda called.

"What is it, girl?" the bounty hunter replied.

"You saved me," said Zelda. "Back at your town."

"I remember. What's your point?"

"I want to return the favour," said the princess. "Walk away now and you won't be harmed."

Marie burst into a harsh laugh. "You're not the one holding the cards, girl."

"Do you even know where you are?"

There was a noticeable pause. "No," the bounty hunter said. "None of this makes sense. So, I go with what I know – money. And, right now, your friend –"

"– is right behind you." Link pressed the tip of crossbow bolt into Marie's neck.

"I warned you," said Zelda. "You should've listened."

"She _was_ listening," said Link quietly. "A little bit too much. That's why she didn't see me sneak right round her. Now, drop your -"

Renado leapt up from the floor, tackling Link straight in the gut. Link stumbled back – and as he did so, Marie swung around, gun pointing.

Link struck with a kick, knocking the weapon spinning out of her hands, then swung a left fist into Renado's chin, and followed with a right aimed at the woman. She ducked, then hit two quick punches to Link's chest.

Link heard metal whisper and knew that Zelda had drawn her sword. She swung for Marie's back, but again the bounty hunter ducked.

Renado clutched at Link's leg. Link tore free and with a stomp finally knocked the man out.

He raised his crossbow just as Zelda raised her sword. Marie was stuck in the middle.

"Stop," the princess commanded.

Marie's cheek twitched. She raised her arms. "Nice teamwork." she said. "Elias and me. We had that. A rapport."

"We're leaving," said Zelda, as though she hadn't heard the words. "And you're not going to stop us."

"Go, then," Marie spat. "I'll find you."

Zelda's brow creased. "Why?"

"It's what I do," she said. "It's all I've got left."

The princess's eyes softened. "Come with us. We could use your help, Marie."

The bounty hunter gave the princess a cool, level stare. "First of all," she said. "I doubt you could afford me."

Zelda opened her mouth to speak, but Link shook his head.

"And," Marie went on. "My name is Iza. Elias always gives me a cover name when introducing me. Always _gave_ me."

The silence stretched between them for a few heartbeats.

"That's your decision, then?" said the princess at last.

Iza gave a sharp, single nod. "It is, girl."

With a small exhale, the princess lowered her sword. Iza visibly relaxed. So much so that she didn't see Zelda turn, grab a nearby saucepan from the kitchen worktop, and swing it straight into her face. The bounty hunter dropped to the ground, unconscious.

The princess dropped the pan. It hit the floor in a metallic shimmer.

"Let's go," she said softly.

* * *

The days passed as they began their trek. Zelda hardly spoke, and Link decided not to prod her. She seemed in a pensive mood. Think cloaks covered them both from the rapidly plummeting temperature. Link carried a travel pack on his back containing food and water. A whistling breeze followed them as they walked on the frost-hardened earth. Snowpeak loomed ever larger in their vision.

The princess finally broke the silence on the third day.

"I thought you were going to kill them," she said. "Those bounty hunters. To stop them from coming after us."

Link blinked in surprise. "I...I didn't think you'd want me to."

She looked over at him, and smiled. Then, just as quickly as it came, the smile faded.

"You must have killed many in my name," she said.

Link flinched as though he'd been struck. _Is that what she thinks of me?_

"No," he replied. "Not really."

Zelda looked at him, her face unreadable. A moment later she turned away and slipped back into her thoughts.

It was hard to work Princess Zelda out. She carried with her the means to slaughter millions, and yet here she was concerned over the possibility of Link killing people who had outright attacked them. He couldn't hold in his thoughts any longer.

"Princess," he said. "Throw the Dragmire away. Destroy it. Anything. Just don't use it."

She stopped in her tracks and looked at him again. The skin around her eyes was pinched tight. "It...will be my responsibility to bear."

"Look at you. Listen to yourself. You don't want to do it," he insisted. "I know you."

One corner of her mouth tugged upward. "Do you?"

Link tried a smile as well. "I think so."

The wind began howling around them. A flurry of sudden snow, caught on the updraft, swirled in the air.

Link's heart was thumping. He took Zelda's hand. It was cold to the touch. She didn't pull away. Instead, her eyes rose to meet his.

"Don't use it," he whispered.

Zelda's face twisted in agonising doubt. Tears had pooled in her eyes, the blue of which now shone in sharp contrast to her black attire and hair. "I will keep my people safe until my dying breath."

The conviction in her voice chilled Link's heart. "You won't be able to live with yourself, princess."

Her lower lip trembled. "Maybe I won't have to."

She pulled free of his grasp, turned away and walked off, leaving Link blinking in shock. Emotions bubbled up from his heart and spilled out onto his tongue.

"But I want you to live," he said to the air.

Hearing the words out loud surprised him. He cared. He cared about her.

She was a beautiful paradox - flashes of kindness and compassion wrapped up in stubborn wilfulness and marked by a dark streak of pain that could turn vicious at the drop of a hat.

Link shook his head. The princess was fading out of his vision, and the snow was falling heavily now. He didn't want to lose sight of her.

Link paused to glance over his shoulder. He'd known for a while now that they were being followed. Whether it was the bounty hunters or the Behemoth didn't matter. Once Zelda and himself crossed over to the Sacred Realm, they would lose their pursuers for good.

And if they failed, it wouldn't matter either way.

With a quick sprint, Link caught up to the princess. She had the map out, squinting at the parchment as it fluttered in the icy wind. She looked up and pointed. Link nodded and followed.

Dark clouds swirled overhead. Vegetation became rarer as they went higher, the path becoming a steep, icy slope. The few trees that they saw had icicles for leaves, glinting as they caught the faint light of the rising moon. Snow crunched under their boots. The air seemed fresh and renewed, and carried an ethereal stillness.

Link noticed other things, too. Things that made him frown. Splintered wood, twisted metal and the bones of creatures he couldn't identify jutted out from the snow every so often. Something wasn't right.

The ground rumbled. Link flicked a glance up. A massive snow-covered boulder was rolling their way. He tensed, but Zelda caught his arm.

"Snow Gorons," she said. "They're harmless."

"It's alive?"

The princess nodded. Sure enough, the creature rolled straight past them, flattening everything in its path. Link looked at Zelda, blinking away the snow that fluttered into his eyes.

"How far?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said, peering down at the map. Her hand glowed green, giving them a faint light. "I can't tell from the map."

"You can't teleport us...?"

"Not if I don't know where I'm going."

More days passed. The path they took grew steeper as they ascended the mountain. At night, the princess used a pinch of her magic to create an emerald fire that gave both warmth and light. Link briefly wondered how their pursuers were keeping the cold at bay, but then decided he didn't care.

He hadn't told Zelda about them. The closer they got to their goal, the grimmer she looked, and he didn't want to add to her troubles. She barely ate of their already meagre provisions.

One night, she lay trembling within her thick cloak, her head resting on a rock. "It's been over a month since I was in the castle. I think I've passed my twentieth birth year."

Link sat nearby, watching her, his face aglow from the magical fire. "Congratulations, princess."

Reflected flames flickered in her glistening eyes. "I wonder what's happening back home."

"I'm sure Captain Rusl has everything under control."

Zelda gave a small shake of her head. "Rusl is a soldier, not a ruler," she said. "There's no one to take over if I die here."

Again Link felt that strong surge of emotion. "You're not going to die," he said, his voice filled with steely conviction. "Not while I'm here. No more of my friends are going to die."

Zelda's wide, blue eyes regarded him. "Don't set yourself up for a fall, Link," she replied in a gentle voice. "Just say you'll try."

Link sighed. "I'll try."

 _I'll try to heal your pain, too._

Link didn't know where that thought had come from, but there it was. Again, he was surprised at the intensity of his own emotions. And, for once, he didn't want to clamp down on them.

Zelda gazed at him in silence. Then she smiled, before slowly drifting away to sleep. When she began softly snoring, Link gently draped his cloak over her.

It was on the dawn of the third day that the princess finally said, "We're almost there. It should just be over that rise." Her voice held a tremor of excitement.

"That was easy," mumbled Link. Zelda had already ran off before she could hear him. Link watched her as she came to a sudden stop at the top, staring. He followed more slowly, apprehension restraining any other emotion.

"Where is it?" she breathed when he caught up to her. "Where's the City in the Sky...?"

Link took a slow look around. It was a large, almost desolate crater. There was a solitary tree there, its bark the colour of snow, its leaves glittering blue. Beneath it was a pedestal. In the pedestal stood a sword, tip down, with a hilt of metallic purple.

"Look," said Link, pointing. "Those stones."

Sharp sunlight glared off of the mounds of snow. Peeking out from beneath were stone blocks and what looked like the cracked remains of the tip of a tower.

"There _was_ a temple here," Zelda said. "It's gone now."

Link felt an icy touch on his heart. "I wonder what could've done that..."

A sudden urge prodded Link to slip on the Silver Mask.

'Fi,' he said in his mind. ' _What is this?'_

 _'Just the beginning of your journey,'_ she said. _'By the way, you need to be under the tree. To open the way.'_

 _'What's that sword?'_

Fi chuckled. _'That's the Master Sword. Isn't she beautiful? I think she is. One hundred percent certain'_. She gave a giddy laugh.

Link wasn't quite sure what had gotten into his spirit companion. He pulled the mask off.

"Um," he said, pointing to the pedestal under the tree. "I think we should try there."

"Try what?" said Zelda.

Link looked right at her. "An act of pure kindness."

The princess stared back as if she'd only just realised. With a nod, she made her way over. Link followed. The snow had departed, with only a few flakes drifting in the air. For some reason, Link couldn't keep his eyes off of the Master Sword. It _pulled_ at him.

"Ha. Ha-ha-ha-ha."

Link and Zelda whirled around, their hands dropping to their weapons in instinct.

"You-" Zelda gasped, her words dying in her throat. "Ralis...?"

The broken form of Prince Ralis stumbled its way into sight, the Behemoth in tow. Link tensed, sharply drawing in breath.

"Not quite," the Ralis thing said, walking with an unnatural gait. "I told you I was getting close. I just needed a vessel. You didn't actually think I was going to come here in person, did you?"

Zelda's eyes narrowed. "The Smiling Man."

"Ah, so wise, so wise. And not just me. My friend Behemoth is here, too. Ready for the rematch, Silver Mask?"

Link just glared.

"What have you done with Prince Ralis?" said Zelda.

"Like you care," the Smiling Man spat. "Do you like? Is it an improvement?" His voice dropped. "Could you love a head like this…?" The possessed Ralis did a twirl, arms outstretched. A gaping hole was visible at the back of his skull. "Ha. Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

A dull boom followed, unsettling some of the snow. The possessed Ralis started in surprise. The mountain shook.

Link glanced up. _What was that? An army of Snow Gorons...?_

Then they saw the culprit – Iza appeared over the rise. She fired her gun up into the air. Another shake followed.

"Don't. _Do._ That," the Ralis thing spat. "Do you want to cause an avalanche?"

"If it'll help me get my money, then yes," the bounty hunter replied.

Link looked from Iza to Ralis and then to Behemoth. Without even realising it, his hand had come to rest on the Master Sword's hilt.

The ground shifted. They all turned to Iza – but she was none the wiser. Confusion overtook them all. The ground shifted again, rumbling.

Link's free hand found Zelda's. She squeezed in response.

A final shudder overtook the entire mountain - and then the sleek black and red form of Argorok the dragon burst screaming out of the ground.

* * *

 **A/N: My friends, it's time for me to take a little break from updating. Yes, I know I'm leaving you on a cliffhanger. I'm bad like that. Even little split infinitives need a holiday (where they boldly go where no split infinitives have gone before).**

 **Thank you for reading. I hope you're enjoying the story (Um..let me know?).**

 **\- Split**

 **PS - No owls were harmed in the writing of this fic.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

It was eerily quiet.

Link slid the Master Sword out of the pedestal with such force that it went spinning up into the air. Catching it with both hands, he looked up and swung, slicing a neat line into the dragon's hide. Argorok merely rose into the air, its powerful wings flapping in a slow beat. It still didn't make a sound. Steaming black bile seeped out of the wound.

Link looked at the Master Sword as cold air bit at his face. The blade glowed with a faint, otherworldly light.

 _What is this thing?_

Behemoth went next. Without even a growl, he leapt into the air and rammed the dragon head-first. Argorok swatted him aside with one wing. A flash of orange flame erupted from Iza's hands. The noise from her gun was muffled for some reason, and the projectile it fired bounced off scaly black skin.

At least Link now knew what had happened to the temple, and what all that wreckage was he'd seen on the way here. The dragon was the culprit. No wonder the trek here had been so easy.

Argorok drew back its neck, paused, then darted forward, mouth wide. It caught Iza between its teeth, shook her violently in its jaws, then flung her over the edge of the mountain. Still it made no noise.

It moved again, a dark blur, and hit the possessed Ralis, throwing him back in a spray of glistening white snow. The Smiling Man stood, horror writ large on the visible part of the Zora's face, but otherwise unharmed. His gaze swerved to the princess. With a glare of fury, he rolled down the crater's edge toward her.

Argorok's narrowed eyes followed him until they, too, came to rest on Princess Zelda. The dragon's neck stiffened like the shaft of an arrow as its head dived in toward her. She ducked, then fell smoothly into a forward roll.

The dragon's jaws ploughed into the ground and, for a moment, it was stuck fast. Its huge scarlet eye widened directly in front of Link. Transferring the Master Sword to one hand, he quickly brought his crossbow to bear and squeezed the trigger twice. Two metal bolts pierced Argorok's eye.

Finally, the dragon made a noise - and what a noise it was. It screamed in pain as it pulled its mouth free, its neck snapping from side to side, its eye spraying a trail of inky-black fluid. The mountain shook. Snow hissed as the black stuff landed on it.

Link shot off another series of bolts. They struck Argorok on its tail. The dragon roared again, its neck jutting straight up as violent spasms ran down the rest of its body.

Satisfaction soared within Link's heart. _That's it! The tail. It's the weak sp-_

A muffled cry brought Link's eyes back down toward the princess. The Smiling Man had her, one hand clasped around her mouth. He dragged her into the shade of the bone-white tree. Metal glinted in his hand.

Link recognised it instantly. He'd seen it in his dreams often enough. A thin metal spike.

The cold, thorny hand of fear gripped his heart.

Another roar came from the dragon. Its wings beat against the air in a leathery whisper.

Zelda struggled in the possessed Zora's grasp. Her blue eyes were bright and wide.

"Now," the Smiling Man said in Prince Ralis's voice. "I become the hero. I save _all_ the other worlds and bring _this_ world to justice."

Time seemed to slow. Behemoth had somehow reached them under the tree. The big man's hand brushed against the undead prince.

Link saw the Smiling Man raise the spike. He dived forward as the weapon came down. He heard the dragon scream, felt the change in the air that indicated that it was diving toward them again.

The spike plunged through Link's eye. Raw pain, white-hot and icy at the same time, ran down his face, through his teeth, and down his spine. Link opened his jaws to scream -

And then the world contracted, folding in on itself over and over until it flashed out of existence.

* * *

Down...

Down...

Down...

He knew what it was. Space and time and everything they contained had vanished from his awareness again. All that remained was what lay beyond.

 _The hero's courage does not come from his prowess in battle._

It was the source of his vision, the one he'd felt a month back when encountering the masked bandit.

The presence spoke again.

 _His courage comes from within._

The words formed in his heart, reverberating within. He understood their meaning.

 _He forgives when he could punish._

They soaked into his being.

 _He is gentle when he could scold._

The presence behind the words was soothing. He felt himself drowning within it.

 _His anger is roused only for the sake of others. And then it is resolute._

He felt like he was floating now, buoyed along by hope alone.

 _You have already shown promise in all this._

The vision began to fade. He felt the world come hurtling back. That what was beyond the sensory had one last message to give.

 _It is time for you to fully take up the hero's mantle._

* * *

Princess Zelda opened her eyes. A cow stared back at her with large liquid-brown eyes, dolefully chewing on some grass. She scrambled backward on her hands. Dried straw and hay scratched at her.

Zelda took a look around. She was in some sort of stall within a barn. The musty air smelled of wet earth. She blinked.

One minute she was being held in the possessed Ralis's ice-cold hands, her magic blocked by whatever dark sorcery was animating the dead prince, watching in horror as the spike drove into Link's head, and the next she was here.

 _Link._

Her heart surprised her by twisting in anxiety.

Where was he? Did he even survive?

She'd gotten so used to his presence that she now felt a sharp sense of loss at his sudden disappearance.

The sound of a brush scratching against the floor pricked her ears. Zelda held her breath. She wasn't alone.

A mumbled voice followed. "I do all the work around here," a man said. "Lazy, good-for-nothing..."

The stall had a door with a large gap at the bottom. Slowly, the princess crept down on all fours to take a peek.

She saw a thin man with bushy eyebrows, a large moustache and dressed in pale violet overalls. Anger twisted his features and radiated from his general demeanour.

"I should be in charge," he growled to himself. "I'm better than this. I'm better than all of them."

That was enough to make Zelda dislike him instantly. She wasn't going to get any help out of him, and she didn't want any.

Straw snapped under her knee.

The man looked up.

Zelda held her breath again. She heard her pulse thump in her ears. Slowly, she moved her hand down to the hilt of Link's old blade.

The silence stretched. Zelda's sword-hand tightened.

Then, with a shake of his head, the man looked away. He made his way to the barn door.

"Stupid cows," he said as the door shut behind him.

Princess Zelda closed her eyes and let out a long breath. She pulled herself to her feet and brushed the hay off of her black clothes. Soon she was at the barn door. Opening it a crack, she stole a look outside.

It was daytime. There was one other building beside the barn, and that was a wooden house directly opposite. Zelda couldn't see the man so she guessed he was in there. Cuccos strolled around the grass, bobbing their heads as they clucked away.

She slipped out. To her left, she could see a winding, grassy path that seemed to lead away from the farm. Zelda bent at the neck so that she wasn't easily visible from any of the house's windows, creeping by on the tips of her toes.

Metal hinges squeaked. The door to the house opened. Zelda froze. So did the thin man.

"Hey!" he shouted as he quickly scooped up a pitchfork resting against the house. "Who are you? What are you doing here?!"

The princess drew her sword.

This seemed to ignite something in the man. "You dare?!" he spat as his face turned crimson. "You dare draw a weapon on _me_?"

Zelda grit her teeth. "Silence yourself!"

With a snarl, the thin man jabbed with his pitchfork. Zelda skewed the attack aside, her sword cracking against his weapon. He was weak, and her blow sent him to the ground. He gurgled in frustration.

Zelda turned and ran. Her lungs pumped and her heart sped up, working in tandem to push her onward. She risked a glance over her shoulder. The man was shaking his fist, but was making no attempt to follow.

She slowed as the path widened out into a vast, green field that seemed oddly familiar. Zelda gazed around slowly. She gulped in deep breaths to restore her sense of calm.

There was no sign of Link.

But something else struck her as just as important, and she just had to give voice to the thought.

"Where in Hyrule am I?"

* * *

Link awoke to find himself lying against a stone wall in a lushly-carpeted corridor. His hand flew to his eye. It was still there. He examined his glove - no blood.

 _What in the world just happened?_

Link could sense a trace of his vision. It held his heart up; and felt like a light without fire, like cool air without a breeze. One word stood alone in his mind: _Courage._

A rectangular shaft of light shone from directly above. A window; and the sound of a young girl's voice floating in from outside. Link crept up to take a look.

The first thing he noticed was that he was in a castle. It looked to be Hyrule Castle, except the paintwork seemed fresher, and the stone smooth and free from stain. The whole place looked smaller as well. A grass-covered heptagon made up the courtyard below. A mini-moat of sky blue water surrounded it.

Link blinked. All the colours were so bright here.

The young girl he'd heard was standing on some steps. A boy of a similar age was in front of her, alongside a strange winged ball of light.

Link's eyes widened. The girl...she looked just like a young Zelda and the boy in green with the strange hat-

"That's...me?" His breathing slowed. This couldn't be.

Link tried to strain his ears, but he couldn't make out what the young Zelda was saying. He saw her hand a piece of parchment to the boy.

"It appears you have arrived."

Link whirled around. A second later he had his crossbow in his hand and pointed at the source of the voice - an owl.

"I am not one of your enemy's slaves," it said.

Link hesitated. This owl _was_ different. No red eyes for one thing, and its voice was deep and gentle.

"Who are you?" said Link. He didn't lower his crossbow. "Where am I?"

"An act of pure kindness," the owl replied. "That is what was needed, correct? To get to the Sacred Realm...? " Its head did a complete spin all the way around so that its face was momentarily upside-down. "Unfortunately, an act of self-sacrifice, though close enough to kindness, occurred instead. It was still tainted violence. And, thus, you are here as I had foreseen."

" _Where?_ "

"Welcome, Link, to Hyrule's distant past." The owl's voice rang with self-satisfaction. "From your point of view, of course."

A disbelieving look crossed Link's features. "If this is the past, how could you possibly know what happened in my time...?"

"You have already noticed that your wound has healed," the owl continued as though Link hadn't spoken. "Consider that a favour."

"From whom?"

The owl chuckled. "You 'Links' do love violence, don't you?"

Link bristled at the insinuation. More than that, he realised that this creature wasn't going to answer any of his questions. He hissed a sigh through gritted teeth.

"What do you want?" Link asked.

"There was never meant to be a Cycle," said the owl, again acting like Link hadn't spoken. "It was the Breach of Black Glass that set it in motion. It was there, undetected by any mystical eye, when the very first Hero appeared, and the very first Princess."

Whatever this creature was, it knew about things that Link had only vaguely heard of from Ilia. Link felt a stirring of mild interest.

"Go on," he said, nudging thin air with the tip of his crossbow.

"It should have ended there," the owl said. "Through the breach seeped the Hero and the Princess - and others - endlessly repeating over and over. Had you entered the Sacred Realm, you could have cut the breach off at its root. Alas, you did not. It doesn't matter."

"No?"

"No," the owl said in a rare response. "Here, in this time, the breach exists but hidden. This was the first time it was detected, here in this time and place, and I, Kaepora Gaebora, was the only one to detect it."

The owl waited. Link wasn't going to congratulate him.

Gaebora spoke on. "I was the one who dictated the scrolls depicting its coming and effects. I told my scribe to write of the signs of the one who could close it. I knew from my meditations that one day someone would find the clues in my writings and that you would find yourself here."

Link frowned. " _How_ could you know that?"

"You don't believe me?" The owl chuckled again. "I saw other signs in my meditations. Things I did not have written down. The princess and her Zora husband. The murder of the girl. The -"

"Wait." Link curled his finger around the crossbow's trigger. "You knew...? You knew what was going to happen to Ilia and you didn't mention it...?"

"You needed the motivation."

Link felt the muscles in his face clench. "You sound like the Smiling Man."

"I won't apologise," Kaepora Gaebora said. "There are grander things afoot here than your simple lust for a pretty girl. What I did, I did for the greater good."

Anger blistered Link's heart. Yet another insinuation. What did this bird know about his friendship with Illy...?

 _The hero's courage..._ Link felt his rage dampen, but he couldn't quite snuff it out completely. His eyelids grew heavy. He was so very tired of all this. _A piece on a game board is all I am._

The owl turned to look at the Master Sword lying beside Link. "You've found the Blade of Evil's Bane, I see. Excellent. I shall enchant your sheathe so that it can carry the bulk.

"When you find the Breach of Black Glass, you must thrust the sword inside. This will close it, and end both the sword and the Cycle as well - but only in your time. Alas, the Cycle that has already seeped through will manifest itself in due course.

"Once you return to your time, there will be no more. You will be the true last Link. If you fail, then the breach that started so many years ago will swallow all the worlds and leave no trace behind."

Link kept his voice level."You didn't see the outcome in your visions?"

Gaebora just blinked at him in response. Link felt his resistance fading. He lowered the crossbow and spoke in a raw, quiet tone. "How will I get back to my time?"

"I will assist you in this."

 _Just me?_

"Where's Zelda?" Link flicked a glance back at the window. " _My_ Zelda?"

"The princess of your time is...somewhere in Hyrule. Along with one other. Your enemy and his companion, perhaps."

Link's heart tightened. If this creature was telling the truth, then the princess was out there - along with the Smiling Man and Behemoth. He'd heard enough, greater good or not. Link made to walk away but the owl spoke again.

"A word of warning," it said, blinking. "The Cycle has begun here. You must not interfere in the actions of the Link and Zelda of this time. The Hero of Time must complete his mission."

Link looked out of the window. The courtyard was empty now. Flowers swayed in the breeze.

"How am I supposed to find the breach?" he said.

Link waited for Kaepora Gaebora to respond. When only silence returned, he turned around.

The owl had gone.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

The stars were all wrong.

Captain Rusl stood on the castle wall-walk and looked up at the night sky. He didn't want to lower his gaze. If he did, he'd have to acknowledge all the screaming down there.

The stars. Burning red and yellow, they were in all the wrong places in a dark firmament that now spun wildly above. Rusl's eyes stung just by staring at them.

The screams were getting louder. Finally, Rusl dropped his eyes to Castleton below. The town gleamed with spreading fires, some of which were bursting out of deep, jagged cracks in the ground. His soldiers formed a barrier in front of the castle's moat that pushed back against the pulsing masses.

Confusion and fear reigned supreme. The captain understood both well. This morning Rusl had looked into the mirror. His clean-shaven face and silver hair kept phasing in and out with a man with similar features but with straw-coloured locks over a white headband and a moustache.

All day he'd seen the same thing, like the world had fallen out of sync with his eyes. Reports flooded in from his men, reports of strange creatures, of ghostly presences and mysterious fires.

It had terrified him.

 _It's the Breach of Black Glass. It's finally come to swallow us all._

"Captain Rusl."

He turned to the sound of the smooth, surprisingly calm - given the current circumstances - female voice. The wall-walk was set around a large, circular chamber within the castle's keep, and standing within now was Midna the Tracker.

Except it wasn't. The Imp was phasing in and out in his eyes as well. One moment she was her usual, tiny form, the next a tall, slender woman with an elaborate headdress.

Rusl swallowed. "Yes?"

She cocked her head to one side. "You wanted to see me...?"

Her voice resonated in a shimmering echo, as though there were multiple Midnas speaking.

The captain cleared his throat. "Yes, yes," he said. "Tell me again what you saw."

Midna's eyes flashed in annoyance. "Did you think something had changed since my first report?" she said. "Link, the princess, Prince Ralis and Behemoth all vanished under the tree atop Snowpeak. There. Nothing new."

"Vanished..." Rusl repeated in a quiet voice.

"They must have entered the Sacred Realm." It was Sahasrahla who had spoken. He entered the chamber where the Imp stood. She cast him a lazy, disinterested glance. "Once they return, all this madness will end."

The captain's hand curled into a fist. _How can he sound so confident?_

" _If_ they return," Rusl said in a soft voice. " _If_ they're successful."

"They will be, Captain," Sahasrahla said, his voice still reverberating with steely conviction. "Have faith."

No sooner had the last word left the old man's lips when a crack ran down the centre of the chamber floor, gouting dust and debris into the air. Sahasrahla scuttled back in horror while Midna spun around, tense and ready. It came to a stop an inch from her boot.

Captain Rusl could only watch in helpless frustration.

It was the end of the world.

And there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

* * *

Princess Zelda placed the gold coin down on the varnished tabletop and slid it screeching past a loaf of bread across to the shopkeeper. The woman behind the counter poked the inside of her cheek with her tongue as she watched Zelda with a careful gaze.

Zelda stared back, face impassive. She knew this was a long shot. But she was just so hungry...

The shopkeeper scratched a mole on her cheek, then with a sniff, picked up the coin. Her brow creased as she squinted, slowly twirling the gold between her fingers.

The woman looked up. "This a joke, girly?"

Zelda's heart sank. She said nothing in reply.

The shopkeeper shrugged, then removed the bread from the surface. She slid the coin back as well. "No bread for you, then," she said. "And take your forgery with you. Just be grateful I don't call the town guards on you."

With a final imperious glare, Zelda turned on her heels and stepped out of the shop. Bells rang as the door shut behind her.

That settled it for the princess. It was clear that, somehow, she'd slipped through the Breach of Black Glass into a totally different world, a completely different Hyrule. Hunger gurgled in her gut. The coin, marked with her father's sigil, was useless here. She'd hoped that it being gold would have been enough.

Zelda felt something else stir in her heart.

 _Link._

She wondered if he'd even made it to this world, or if he'd been lost in another.

 _Or if he's lying dead back home._

The image of Link coming between her and the Smiling Man's spiked weapon was burned into her mind's eye. Why had he done that...?

 _You know why..._

Zelda pushed away the thoughts. She didn't want to travel down that path just yet.

The princess stepped out into the streets of Castleton. Or, at least, that's what she assumed this town was. It was a lot smaller than her Castleton, despite it being dwarfed by a temple that cast a shadow over all the buildings. That certainly wasn't there in her world.

Barking dogs ran through the town square, dancing around courting couples and the other townsfolk. It was busy, and quaint. In the distance, the princess saw the outline of Hyrule Castle framed against the blue, cloudless sky.

Zelda stepped up to a pond set in the centre of the square and leaned against the surrounding black metal railings. Her reflection stared back from the water's glistening surface. Dark rings had settled around her eyes, matching the blackness of her dyed hair.

 _What am I supposed to do here? How do I return home?_

It had taken her hours to walk from the farm - Lon Lon Ranch as she now knew it was called - to Castleton. She was tired and hungry. Princess Zelda had no plan yet. She just needed to eat.

Something caught her eye. A shop. The pit of Zelda's stomach turned cold. All of a sudden, she wasn't so hungry anymore. She walked toward it in a daze. A giant stretched face with narrow eyes and grinning teeth had been painted over the door. That had been enough to prick her recognition, but the sign swinging in the breeze confirmed it.

It was a mask shop.

Zelda pushed open the door with a sweat-slicked palm. Her senses were struck immediately by the wave of colour and sound. Multi-coloured chandeliers rotated slowly above. Drapes lined each wall. Various masks were on display. A happy, jaunty tune was playing in the background. She hated it.

But it was what was directly ahead of her that really made Zelda's heart thump. Sitting behind a counter set in the mouth of a giant face was the Smiling Man himself. He looked younger here, a strange sparkle leaking from his narrowed eyes.

Zelda walked toward him, wide-eyed and still bewildered.

"Hiyee!" the Smiling Man of this world said. "Welcome to the Happy Mask Shop! We deal in masks that bring happiness to everyone!"

He even sounded the same, though this one's voice lacked the river of venom that lay behind her world's Smiling Man.

"Er..." he said as he started to wilt under Zelda's intense gaze."Are you quite alright, miss...?"

The drapes billowed as magical energy rushed to Zelda's hands. She hadn't even realised she'd summoned it. The Smiling Man had to be stopped - no matter what world he was from. She remembered being in the clutches of her dead husband, himself no more than a puppet of the Smiling Man.

The Happy Mask Salesman shrank back. "Miss...?"

Princess Zelda lowered her head and stalked forward. A dim part of her mind noticed that the magic trailing off of her hands was now inky black and not the usual green.

"HELP!" the Happy Mask Salesman cried. His smile had finally dropped, replaced by a twisted visage of pure fear. "HELP MEEE!"

Someone kicked the door behind her open. Zelda spun around. Her magic flared - but something made her pause. The town guards. They all wore the royal sigil. Distracted, Princess Zelda didn't see the butt of the spear hit her in the head. She fell to her knees, and then hit the carpeted floor, the world spinning as darkness closed in.

She heard the soldiers speak.

"What do we do with this one, then?" one said. "Dungeons? Take her to the king?"

"She used magic," another replied, his hushed voice edged with the tremor of fear. "Didn't you see?"

"I saw," the first one said. "That's why I thought the king should know."

"Nah." The other's voice echoed in her ears as consciousness slipped away. "Only one person knows about magic up at the castle. We'll take this one straight to Princess Zelda."

* * *

It was damp and dark down in the castle's armoury. Somewhere in the gloom Link could hear the metallic sound of dripping water and the leathery rustle of keese wings. The cool, stale air made his nose twitch even under the Silver Mask. Clearly, the armoury had been built at moat-level.

This had been his first port of call. If he had to do the owl's mission, he wanted as much help as he could get. It had taken a while to get down here. Fi had been his guide as he dodged and crept past the castle guards. Good thing, though, that the rest of the castle's denizens were otherwise distracted. He'd caught snippets of talk about some visiting dignitary from the desert wastes.

' _Fi,'_ he said. ' _I can't see anything._ '

' _Acknowledged,'_ she replied.

The eyeholes of the mask began to glow, cutting through the dark with twin beams silvery light.

' _Better?'_ said Fi.

Link blinked, impressed. _'Thanks.'_

He gazed around the room at the assorted rows of swords and spears. The blades reminded him of the new weapon he now had strapped in a sheath on his back – the Master Sword. The Blade of Evil's Bane, the owl had called it.

A quick search through some crates revealed a handful of crude-looking crossbow bolts that Link loaded into his weapon. He looked around again.

' _What is it you are seeking?'_ Fi asked.

' _I want to be prepared,_ ' Link projected. _'For the Behemoth.'_

It was true. He'd been tasked with two impossible jobs. Finding the breach was one. The other was to finish off both Behemoth and the Smiling Man.

 _And find Zelda._

Link's eyes fell upon a hauberk and a pair of gloves. _'What are those, Fi?'_

' _Analysing,'_ she said. ' _It's thin gambeson coated in riveted chain mail. Thin enough to wear under your shirt, strong enough to protect your torso from general harm.'_

Link smiled. ' _Outstanding,'_ he said. ' _And the gloves?'_

' _I'm detecting a magical element to them,'_ Fi explained. _'Goron made. They should pack quite the punch._ '

' _Literally?'_

 _'Well, of course, literally.'_

It didn't take long for Link to equip himself with the new armour. As he did so, he revealed another item lying beneath the hauberk. He sent a questioning thought Fi's way.

' _That,'_ she said, ' _is a hookshot.'_

The door to the armoury burst open and a trio of silver-liveried castle guards stepped in. Two were spearmen and the other an archer.

A screeching whistle cut through the air. "Halt!" one of the guards said.

"What _is_ it?" another asked.

Link realised how he must look - a dark figure in a silver mask with glowing eyes.

"Enough chatter," the first one replied. He turned his head slightly to the archer. "I told you I heard something. Take him down."

The bowstring went taut. Link let instinct take over. He scooped the hookshot up in one hand, his finger finding the trigger instantly. A spiked chain shot out, embedded itself into a wall, and pulled Link to safety just as an arrow went flying past. Coils of magical energy had warped out of the glove to wrap around his arm, strengthening it from being torn off by the sheer force.

Link pulled the hookshot free, then aimed again. The guards turned as one as the spike shot past them and hit the wall behind. Link tugged.

Link flew, pulled clean off his feet by the wild, rattling chain and, as soon as he was level with the guards, his free fist lashed out in two liquid-quick strikes. He reached the wall as two of the men collapsed. Link turned and fired at the darkened ceiling. Squeaking keese fluttered as the spike hit home with a _thunk._

"Don't move," he said to the last guard.

The man froze. A piece of masonry fell from above and hit his helmet. Metal rang. He dropped, out cold.

"Thanks," said Link as he retracted the chain.

Link looked at the hookshot in awe and then down at his new gloves. The guards groaned at his feet.

' _I trust these are to your satisfaction?'_ asked Fi.

' _I think I have exactly what I need,'_ he said, stepping out of the room and into the sunlit corridor beyond. The glow from the mask's eyeholes faded. Link paused to shut the armoury door behind him. ' _Find us an exit, Fi. The path of least resistance, please.'_

' _Certainly,'_ Fi replied. ' _I will calculate – Wait! No! Go back into the –'_

"Now what do we have here?" a deep voice rolled through the air. It chilled Link to his core. Cold sweat sprung awake on his skin.

He turned slowly. There were five people. It only took one glance for Link to work out who they were. The two soldiers were obvious. They flanked a thin, stern-looking lady in a rich lavender dress that made her out to be a courtier. The large, stocky man wearing a crown - that was clearly the king. The last person was a tall, muscular man with olive skin and a shock of orange hair. It was this last man who had spoken.

"Well, young man?" the courtier said in a nasally voice. Her finger tapped against an unfurled scroll she held in one hand "Speak!"

"Answer our guest!" the king said. "I command you!"

"Yes," the tall man added. "Answer me, boy. Answer to Ganondorf Dragmire."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Link felt his every nerve tingle on edge. He didn't know why, but this Ganondorf had set his senses on high alert, and something deep in his soul was screaming at him to go for his crossbow. Link resisted.

For now.

' _Just do as I say,'_ said Fi, radiating calm thoughts in his head. ' _Don't speak.'_

Silence hung in the air between them and stretched. Link felt sweat spring up on his brow.

"What is the matter with him?" Ganondorf growled. "Has he lost his tongue?"

 _'Nod.'_

Link nodded.

"Ah," the female courtier said with a snap of her fingers. "Of course, of _course_. He's mute. Isn't that right?"

' _Nod.'_

Link did so.

"Mute...?" asked Ganondorf, turning his head slightly.

"Yes, yes," the courtier replied. "All our eunuchs are." She turned to Link. "I don't really deal with that aspect of the servants here. Eunuch. That's what you are, yes?"

' _Nod again.'_

Link's face burned under the Silver Mask.

' _Nod!'_

Link nodded.

"He seems rather well-armed for a eunuch," said Ganondorf. He turned to the other two. "You cut off their tongues as well?"

It was the king who replied. "Then they tell no secrets, my friend." He chuckled. "When you have a daughter, her protection is paramount. Both her body and her words. Hence the weapons, you see." He grinned at Link. "That is correct, is it not, young man?"

' _You know what to do.'_

Link suppressed a sigh and nodded vigorously.

Ganondorf's eyes narrowed. "Take off the mask, boy."

' _Do. Not.'_

Link's hand twitched. His arm was lowering slowly toward his crossbow. He flexed his fingers in his other hand.

 _'What are you doing?'_ a panicked Fi echoed in his head. ' _You can't interfere!'_

Link had no idea what this had to do with interfering. All he knew was that he sensed danger - his mind _screamed_ that there was danger - and he had to do something.

Ganondorf continued to watch him. "Is there a problem, boy?"

Link's gloved finger brushed against the crossbow.

"I think I know what the issue is," said the courtier. "I believe many of our eunuchs hide the shame of their, ah, condition under a mask. Like I said, I don't deal with them much, but I think it's a point of pride to leave it on. Some even do so when sleeping. "

Link didn't need Fi to tell him to nod in agreement this time.

The tension seemed to seep from Ganondorf's chest. He appeared satisfied by this explanation, though his eyes still held a glint of suspicious wariness.

"Back to your post," the courtier barked. "I don't want to see you lazing off-duty again. I will be speaking to your superior about this."

"Come, come," said the king to Ganondorf with a tug on his sleeve. "There's plenty more to see on this tour. I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled I am that the Gerudo have pledged allegiance to the throne."

' _Keep facing him,'_ said Fi. _'Don't let him see the Master Sword.'_

 _'Why?'_

 _'Just do it.'_

Link pressed his back against the wall as the entourage passed. None but Ganondorf gave him another glance. The tall man, on the other hand, kept a steady glare on Link's face. Ice trickled down the young soldier's spine. Once they'd turned the corner and were out of sight, Link clasped his knees and let out a long, long breath.

' _Who was that?'_ asked Link. _'What was that even about, Fi...?'_

' _Don't ask. Just avoid him. Remember what the owl said – do not interfere.'_

Link pondered over this. ' _This Ganondorf has something to do with the Cycle here...?'_ he asked. ' _And Dragmire...that's what Zelda calls her magic rock._ ' Another thought struck him. ' _Fi, do you actually know of this time period?'_

 _'I know of a version of it from my world. That's one of the things I can still recall. Do not ask, though.'_

Link blew out another deep breath. ' _And why agree with the eunuch thing...?'_

 _'It helped, didn't it? I would think a little bit more gratitude would be in order.'_

 _'More luck than skill, I think.'_

 _'We need to leave this castle, then,'_ said Fi. _'That was too close a call.'_

Link glanced out of a nearby window, saw the sky burnt orange as the sun made its descent. He'd been here all day. ' _Agreed. Let's find a place to camp for the night.'_

* * *

Princess Zelda held her head up high as the guards marched her up a winding staircase to her namesake's chamber. They passed a maid lighting candles set in large, regularly-spaced alcoves on either side of the corridor. Night was approaching, Zelda realised.

They stopped in front of a door, and one guard knocked on the wood. It was then that the princess realised the enormity of what was about to happen. Her mouth went dry.

"Enter," a soft voice said from within.

The guard opened the door – and there she was.

Zelda's eyes widened. The younger princess was smaller, her features softer and her eyes swam with the sparkle of youthful optimism.

 _I've seen her before..._

Her head hurt as she tried to recall the memory.

"Leave us, please," the young princess said, looking at the two guards. "And you as well."

Zelda glanced over her shoulder. There were two more guards, one wearing a mask, the other with sullen, empty eyes and his lips pressed into a thin, tight smile. Neither moved.

"Nothing will happen," the young princess insisted. "Not while Impa is with me."

That was when Zelda noticed the other person in the room. Standing in flickering shadows cast by a log pile fire was a tall, silver-haired woman with her arms crossed. She looked nothing like the Impa from her own world.

Zelda heard the door close behind her. It was just the three of them now.

The young princess smiled. "I know who you are."

Zelda's eye twitched. "You do?"

"Of course!" A light laugh floated from her. "You're _me._ I could see through your disguise. So _easy._ " She cocked her head. "The dyed hair is a nice touch. I think I – uh, you – should try and look a little less feminine, though."

"I see…" Zelda's voice trailed off.

"From my future, I presume? Did I – you, sorry - use the ocarina to come here…?"

Zelda frowned. She had no idea what the girl was talking about. In her world, with her network of spies, she had a finger in every pulse of Hyrule. Here, she was useless. Zelda hated it.

"But," the young princess went on, "if you're here, something must have gone wrong…? Or do you have a message for me…?"

Zelda's head started to pound. "I am…not sure."

The young princess frowned. "Then why are you here…?"

Zelda opened her mouth to speak – then frowned herself as she heard shouts from outside. The younger princess exchanged glances with Impa.

"Quickly!" the young girl said, pointing. "Into the wardrobe!"

Zelda followed the direction of her finger to a large, ornately carved oak closet. She hadn't even noticed her surroundings. She'd been too busy gaping at her younger doppelganger.

"Why?" she asked.

"You can't be discovered here," said the young princess. "There would be too many questions." She turned to her friend. "Impa. The ocarina."

The other woman nodded, and handed the young girl a small, circular instrument in pale lavender. Zelda swallowed – she could sense the powerful magic radiating from it.

The young princess jumped at the sound of loud thumps at her door. She cast a worried glance Zelda's way. "Hide!"

Zelda slipped into the wardrobe, leaving the door open a crack. She saw her younger duplicate fling an arm in front of her face as the chamber door erupted in a cloud of splinters.

"You!" she said, eyes wide. "You're the fiend I've seen in my visions!"

Zelda tried to crane her head to look.

No luck.

A deep, male voice responded. "I'm flattered that you find me in your dreams, princess," he said. "Alas, you are too young for my tastes."

"Where's my father?"

A wet thump followed. The young princess gasped, her eyes watering. Zelda could guess at the king's fate. She felt her chest tighten, her heart cold. One fist had already closed without her even knowing.

"You –you-" The young princess, her lower lip trembling, stumbled over her words. "When -?"

"Just now," the man replied. "I was getting bored of his little tour. I killed the others, too, if you're interested."

Eyes rimmed-red and chest heaving, the young princess glared. "What do you want?"

"The Ocarina of Time."

He moved forward, and Zelda saw him at last. A tall man in black armour gilded with gold. Her skin prickled. Magic. This stranger had control over magic.

The man's eyes dropped. "I see you have it ready for me."

The younger princess looked to her trembling held, as though noticing the ocarina clutched there for the first time.

"It's just a plaything," she said, her voice weak.

"Indeed? Then you won't mind me having it."

Impa stepped in front of her.

The man sighed. "Ah, not such a toy after all, eh? It is the key to the Door of Time. I want it. As you can see, Ganondorf Dragmire is not averse to killing to get what he wants. Step aside."

 _Dragmire…?_

Her thoughts were sliced by the sound of Ganondorf drawing his sword. Impa held her ground in front of the terror-struck young princess. Dragmire moved a step forward and to the side – and Zelda saw his back clearly. He was in front of the wardrobe now.

The log pile fire crackled. Zelda let her body go limp, let the magic swell within her. She felt its familiar presence thrum through her veins. The princess remembered hiding with Link in the Eldin cathedral, remembered what he'd done to surprise their pursuers.

Ganondorf raised his sword. Impa pushed the young Zelda further behind her.

The older Zelda took a step back in the enclosed space, coiled the muscles in her legs, then leapt forward with a kick.

The wardrobe doors flew open, hitting Ganondorf in the back. He barely flinched – but did turn around.

Zelda flung up her hands and blasted the man with twin streams of emerald-black magic. He growled as he was thrown into the wall.

"Go!" she cried. "Run!"

The younger princess looked up at her. "But –"

"I'll follow."

Impa scooped the young Zelda up and carried her out of the chamber, stopping only to give the older princess a grateful nod. She nodded back, then turned to Ganondorf.

The man looked completely unharmed. Smoke trailed from his coat, but that seemed to be the extent of his damage. He began to stir.

Zelda ran from the room, caught hold of the handrail outside and swung so that she glided onto the stairs – but she her head was groggy from her burst of magic and she used too much force. She flew straight into the staircase spindles which cracked, then snapped in quick order.

Zelda's heart leapt to her throat as she found herself toppling into thin air. Her knee and ankle broke her fall, striking the handrail on the floor directly below. A sharp jolt of pain ran up her leg as she tumbled into an alcove, knocking over all the candles there. Darkness shrouded the small space as the candles, trailing melted wax, rolled down the remaining stairs.

Zelda's head spun. She heard the large thumps of Ganondorf's boots as he descended the staircase. He didn't see her - or was too distracted - and Zelda saw the sole of his boot press into a puddle of wax as he went straight down.

The princess dragged herself to her feet, then stumbled as her ankle gave away. Hissing, one hand gripping the handrail, she made her slow way down.

It took her almost half an hour to reach the exit to the castle.

And when she took her first step outside the world went bone-white.

* * *

' _Get out of sight! Hide!'_

Link fell from a sprint into a crouch, landing behind a small hillock slicked wet with rain. The dark sky above was split by forks of lightning. They'd only just emerged from the castle - after spending too much time convincing the guard to lower the bridge - and now this. Back flat against the grassy rise, Link snuck a peek from the side to see the reason for Fi's command.

Young Link stood waiting beside the moat, his hair flattened to his brow by the rain. Rattling chains and metal gears clanked as the drawbridge made its slow descent.

Young Link made to walk, then froze, eyes and mouth wide, and dived out of the way. A white horse galloped out of the castle. The elder Link saw the young Princess Zelda clutched in the arms of some blue-clad woman.

His heart skipped a beat. He was reminded of his own Zelda struggling in the Smiling Man's grasp. It had only been a day but it felt like a month since he'd last seen her. His hand dropped to his crossbow.

' _Do not interfere,'_ said Fi.

But Link couldn't wipe the image of his Zelda in the Zora prince's possessed hands, and saw a variation of that scene repeating itself before his eyes now.

 _'She's being kidnapped. I can -'_

A splash cut him off. The younger princess had thrown something into the moat. Young Link turned - and found Ganondorf there sitting astride a horse. A flash of lightning silvered the tall man's face. He spoke, but the rainswept wind carried the words away from the elder Link.

Instead, he looked for the white horse. It was too late. The darkness had already swallowed it.

A deep bellow of a laugh made Link turn back to the drawbridge. He saw a swirl of energy pool around Ganondorf's raised palm, then felt the whole land shake. Young Link toppled backward, screaming. The rhythmic drum of hooves marked Ganondorf's exit.

' _Now what?'_ asked Link.

' _Wait,'_ Fi replied. ' _It's not over.'_

There was the sound of another splash. It was young Link, diving in after whatever this world's princess had thrown. The elder Link stood up -

And the world went bone-white.

* * *

It was hot.

Stifling and hot.

Princess Zelda came back to her senses. She'd been walking in a daze - for how long, she couldn't tell. The world seemed to be cast in a reddish hue, and everything her eyes met shimmered in the heat. Her ankle still ached.

 _Why is it so sickeningly hot...?_

She looked up. Hyrule Castle was gone. Instead, a dark palace stood on a floating island surrounded by a glowing scarlet moat. Zelda stared at it in complete awe. The amount of magic it was taking to keep this place in existence...

 _It's Ganondorf. The warlock dripped with dark magic._

Stumbling, Zelda made her way back to Castleton. She ignored the sharp pains that screamed from her ankle with her every step. She found the town square packed with people. The townsfolk carried large travelpacks on their backs, some straining under the weight. She joined the crowd. Grim faces and downcast eyes surrounded her. The sound of soft weeping clung to the air.

Zelda scanned the people's eyes. A nearby woman bore eyes of sad kindness. Zelda made her way to her and tugged on the woman's sleeve. "What happened?" she whispered.

The woman sniffed. "It was like time stopped. Everything went white. And when we came to... _that_ thing was there." She nudged her chin in the direction of the dark palace. "And Princess Zelda is gone."

"Gone..." Zelda repeated. "Where is everyone going?"

"Away from here," the woman replied, her voice thick with sudden passion. "Away from that monstrosity of a castle."

Zelda felt lost. It was disorientating. She was so used to being in control, wielding the hand of authority with ease. And now...she didn't know where she was, or what was happening. She was nobody here. It was like being stripped to her very core.

They were at the drawbridge now, and the crowd was spilling out into the field. A flash of silver made Zelda's heart catch. She reached up on the tips of her toes to look.

It was gone.

Zelda blinked, and was surprised to find her eyes watering.

 _How do I get back home...?_

The flash of silver came again. It stole her breath. This time she had to be certain.

Zelda pushed through the crowd, ignoring the torrent of hissed curses and molten glares.

 _There! A silver mask!_

Hope surged in her heart so much it hurt. All her years of restraint and self-control were swept away. Her boots clapped against the ground as she ran.

He'd spotted her, too. He pulled off his mask.

Princess Zelda's lips split into a huge grin. The relief almost made her head spin. It only took a few more steps then Link swept her up in his arms.

"You're alive..." she breathed, her eyes locking with his.

Link looked back at her in wonder, and then ran a gentle hand through her hair. "You're here..."

She pulled him close. His arms tightened around her.

The strange world they found themselves in was collapsing around them but Link and Princess Zelda had both found their safe port in a storm.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

It was a throne of skulls and piled-up bones. Ganondorf Dragmire lounged on top, leaning back against one armrest, legs hanging over the other. It wasn't, he had to admit, the most comfortable of chairs. Moreover, the bones were still slick and wet. That's how fresh they were.

 _But, then, it wasn't like the Royal Guards needed them anymore, was it?_

He chuckled at his own joke, the sound bouncing off the walls of his cavernous, dark Throne Room.

His mirth ended just as quickly as it had begun. Ganondorf sighed. Boredom weighed down his face.

He heard the sound of the chamber's door opening, followed quickly by brisk steps on the hard, uncarpeted floor. Nabooru, his second-in-command, appeared out of the darkness. Tall with long, red hair tied into a ponytail, the Gerudo woman wore the traditional garb of the desert tribe. Jewellery of different shapes clinked with her every step.

"Have you found her?" Ganondorf slurred.

Nabooru glared from under heavily-painted eyelids. "We have more important things to consider. All this magic of yours has caused a drought, and the drought has diminished the crops of Hyrule. We need to find a way to distribute food to the people."

"Look at my face. Do I look like I care?" he said. "Because I don't."

Nabooru hissed, her gaze withering. She stepped up to his throne, looked into his eyes, then gave him a sharp slap.

Ganondorf spluttered in utter shock. "You dare?!"

"Yes!" she spat back. "I dare. This is what ruling the world means, you fool. Unless you'd prefer to be king of an empty wasteland?"

Now it was Ganondorf's turn to glare, his every breath reduced to a snarl. "I've done that. King of Thieves, they called me. What use is a king if all his subjects are mere women? It may as well be empty."

He could see that his words had cut her. Nabooru was trying hard to hold her tongue.

 _Good. Let her feast on the truth. I hope it tastes of ash._

"I told you what I want," he continued. "That accursed Triforce defied me. It split into three. I only have the one part. Princess Zelda has one of the others. Find her."

"And then what?" Nabooru folded her arms. "Hmm?"

"Find her," he pressed. "And the magic user that was in her chamber."

"And how am I supposed to do that? You don't even have a description."

"He hit me in the back. Like a coward."

"That's not a description," the desert woman replied. "And how do you know it was a 'he'? It's a fool's quest. I'd rather concentrate on running our new kingdom."

Ganondorf stared at her for a long moment. "I want you to go see Koume and Kotake."

For the first time since she'd come in, Nabooru's face wilted in fear. Ganondorf liked that. He liked that a lot.

"W-Why?" she said.

"For…re-education, shall we say….?"

He started off with a chuckle that slowly grew into a bellowing laugh that echoed around the room. Nabooru backed away slowly.

"Go!" he barked. "And when you return, we'll discuss how you'll find the princess. I trust by then I'll have your absolute, undivided loyalty." Ganondorf swung his legs down from the throne, then stood. "Guards! See that she obeys!"

Grunting creatures, olive-skinned and with pig-like snouts, appeared as though from nowhere and grabbed Nabooru by the arms. She struggled, but their grip held firm and they began to drag her away.

Ganondorf's roaring laugh followed Nabooru out of the room.

* * *

Link leaned against the mouth of the cave, his arms folded against his broad chest. He'd been building up his strength, testing his muscles as he used the Goron gloves to smash and pound huge rocks. It had clearly been effective, judging by his slightly bigger frame. That it had only taken three days was probably due to the Red Potion lingering in his body.

Whatever the case, Link felt ready for his rematch with Behemoth.

That wasn't the only thing he'd grown, either. He reached up with one hand to stroke the wiry hair now on his chin. He'd decided to keep it. From what Fi had told him, the Link of this time would return one day, and in the meantime the elder Link didn't want anyone to mistake him for his young duplicate.

Princess Zelda had slept on-and-off through the past few days. She'd used magic, and it had clearly drained her. Aside from training, Link had spent the time foraging for food. He hadn't found anything more nourishing than a handful of berries.

And when he wasn't doing either of those things, Link had watched Zelda sleep, as scandalous as it was for a commoner to stare for so long at a princess. He'd been happy just for her to be there.

Now the princess was awake. She sat within the cave, staring at the Dragmire nestled in her palm. It cast long scarlet shadows over the rocky interior.

Link's happiness had dimmed ever-so-slightly, a dark stain on his heart. The Dragmire. A reminder of what stood between the two of them.

"Sahasrahla named it after this tyrant," Zelda said, soft and quiet. "I wonder if he knew."

Link gazed at her. "What's your plan, princess?"

She looked up. "You've seen this world. You've seen what people like this Ganondorf can do."

"This _is_ our world," Link replied, his voice matching her insistent tone. "It's our past."

He'd already explained the situation to her. If it had any impact on her, she didn't show it now.

"But there will be people like him in the other worlds," the princess said. "I can't let them into ours."

"We close the breach," said Link. "Those worlds can sort out their own problems. We worry about our own."

"And then what?" she said. "Live happily ever after?" Her eyes dropped to the Dragmire. "I do not want - nor need - happiness."

Link strode over to her, took her firmly by the wrist and hauled her to her feet. He looked down into her eyes and smiled. He'd spent so long trying to keep his emotions under lock and key that he didn't know how to express them now.

The corner of Zelda's mouth twitched. "Or maybe I could make a little room for it…"

Link felt lost looking at her. He didn't even realise he was leaning in close.

Zelda twisted out of his grasp. She pocketed the Dragmire, then retreated to the back of the cave. There, her back still to him, she scooped up some berries and popped them one-by-one into her mouth.

Link watched her. He couldn't quite work out his feelings for her. Respect…? Lust…?

Love…?

In truth, it didn't seem like any of those, and the princess seemed to know it, too. They were drawn to each other, an unshakeable bond between them that was beyond words. He hadn't felt anything like it, so different it was from his often impetuous feelings for Ilia.

This seemed calmer, settled. At least now it was.

And it was all so unexpected.

 _Especially so soon after Illy. Forgotten her already?_

Link winced inwardly, and tried to stamp out the treasonous thoughts.

Zelda turned, her lips stained red with juice. "We're not going to try and assist the people here…?"

 _There she goes again, surprising me. I expected her to ask about the breach._

His feelings hadn't clouded his judgement. With the Dragmire in her possession, the princess was still dangerous.

If she chose to be.

Link addressed her. "The owl – the one I told you about –"

"Kaepora."

"He said not to interfere." Link felt something swell in his chest, remembered the words from his last vision. "But he was talking about the big picture, I think."

"Really…"

Link nodded. "Fi says things here will improve after seven years."

Zelda raised her eyebrows. "That long?"

"So she says," he replied. "There's a town not far from here. It's Kakariko. Princess, shall we go see if we can be of any help…?"

Princess Zelda smiled, a wide grin that brightened her whole face. Link couldn't help but respond in kind.

* * *

Kakariko was busy. Princess Zelda heard the noise of steel chopping wood, the rhythmic bang of hammers and the constant hum of chatter. Link had helped with cutting down the wood, and she was carrying it now, to and fro, from a large log pile to anyone that needed it. With the massive influx of people pouring in from Castleton, they'd needed to build more houses.

Zelda smiled at the townsfolk as she passed by, her arms full of sap-scented logs. They smiled back, and she felt a surge of pride. It may be the past, but they were still her people. And they were not going to be cowed by Ganondorf. Their eyes held sadness, but their smiles spoke of their silent defiance.

She'd never really got her hands dirty like this, mingling with her subjects, simply helping on a more grounded level. Zelda found that she liked it.

She glanced at Link out of the corner of her eye. Like herself, he wore a hooded cloak. He was drawing water from a well, the pump squeaking as he raised the sloshing bucket. A group of whispering children had gathered around him, daring each other to get close. When they did, Link sprinkled water on them and they retreated, laughing.

He seemed relaxed now, almost laid-back. Though he still didn't talk as much, he smiled more often, and the townsfolk seemed at ease in his presence.

Zelda knew why he felt so unburdened. She felt it, too...but what could come of it? If they succeeded in closing the breach and going home, what then...? She was a princess, he was a common soldier.

 _Nip it in the bud. Treat him like you would any other underling. You've committed yourself to your people, over and above your petty desires._

It was her father's words, she knew. Once upon a time, those words would have made sense, would have been easy to put into practice.

Now, though...

Zelda sighed. She closed her eyes for a long moment.

 _I won't treat him like an underling. He doesn't deserve that. He's earned my friendship - and that's more than most men get from me._

Satisfied at her decision, Zelda turned her thoughts in another direction. She wondered what had become of this era's princess. From what Link had told her, it seemed like Ganondorf hadn't found the young girl and Impa. But where was she...?

And, more importantly, where was the Smiling Man?

She felt her gut twist just by thinking about him. Fear and regret stung her heart. Fear that he was still around, able to add to the people's misery here; and regret – the man she'd threatened back in Castleton was a distant ancestor of the Smiling Man, not the real thing. She wished she could make it up to him.

Zelda reached the Kakariko carpenters and handed over the logs. They nodded in gratitude. She bowed her head slightly in response as she wiped the loose-hanging splinters from her hands.

The sound of laughter made her look up. It was Link, now playing with the town children. Zelda felt a smile grow on her face. She realised that this was the first time she'd ever heard a laugh from him. He was still the strong fighter that she'd always known him as, but now he seemed…human.

Zelda drew in a deep breath. She looked around. Weaving himself into the fabric of this little town felt like where Link truly belonged.

 _And me...? Where is it that I belong...?_

Zelda felt a hand touch her shoulder. One of the older ladies of the town, famous for brewing potions, looked up at her.

"Ey, girly," the woman said. "You've done enough for today." She nudged her head in Link's direction. "Go have some fun with your friend and the wee ones."

Zelda looked at her, hesitating. It just wasn't the type of thing a princess should do.

The woman prodded her with a wrinkled finger. "Go on."

Zelda smiled, her resistance fading, then dashed off to join in.

* * *

Ganondorf leaned forward on his throne as he heard the sound of the chamber door opening. It was Nabooru again - but different. Her eyes lacked the insolent spark she'd had the last time. Her head was a little bowed as she approached him.

 _Excellent. The witches have worked their wonders again._

He would have to thank Koume and Kotake personally for this.

Nabooru hadn't come alone. She pushed a stumbling figure before her. His face was hidden by the shadow cast by his hood.

"I found him loitering outside the palace," said Nabooru. "Said he wanted to see you."

Ganondorf leaned back and stroked his chin. There was something odd about this fellow. He stank of magic.

"Leave us, Nabooru," he said. As he heard her footsteps recede, Ganondorf turned his attention to the hooded man. "What do you want?"

"I would like to propose a partnership," the stranger replied.

"I don't need anyone," Ganondorf replied. "I could kill you where you stand."

"You could," the man replied, his voice thoughtful. "But you won't."

Ganondorf felt his cheek twitch. The stranger was right. His level of magic was too dangerous for a full-on attack.

 _Who is this man? Was he the one in the princess's chamber?_

"Name your terms," said Ganondorf.

He braced himself. If this stranger wanted a share of his power, then Ganondorf would have to find a way to dispose of him, no matter how dangerous he was.

The man spoke, and Ganondorf listened. When the stranger was done, the Gerudo king stood.

"Done," he said.

"Ha," the stranger replied. "Ha-ha-ha-ha!"


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Link stood as still as a mythical Armos statue atop a small, grassy rise not far from the path to Kakariko. He peered through the scope of his crossbow, his gaze fixed on the battlements surrounding Castleton. Something was happening there. A lot of activity, a lot of distant figures in perpetual motion.

His black and blue shirt rippled as a gentle breeze tugged at him. Link continued to watch. Sunlight caught on metal and glinted.

Armour.

He had a bad feeling about all this.

A flicker of movement pulled his eyes away from the scope. Someone was creeping at the base of the small hill. Link moved his gaze back straight ahead as he slowly lowered his crossbow and hooked it to his belt.

He waited. The figure moved closer. He caught a glimpse of a twitching snout and beady, intelligent eyes. Link tensed, waiting –

Then leapt, reaching behind him to draw the Master Sword with both hands. He glided down and, his triceps taut and bulging, swung the blade over his head and cleaved the creature from its right shoulder to left hip. Link landed on both feet, sword pointed down, the metal glistening with smoking black blood. He drew himself up to his full height and, with the Master Sword now in one hand, pulled on the Silver Mask.

' _Fi.'_

' _Analysis…?'_

' _Please.'_

As Link listened to the spirit within his mask, his ears also pricked at the sound of footsteps drawing close. He didn't tense – he knew it was Princess Zelda without even having to look.

"Link," she said. "That's all the new homes done. Did you find –"

She paused, and Link turned to her. Zelda's eyes widened at the sight of both the bloodied sword and the twitching corpse.

Link, though, felt his heart catch. The princess had her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and strands of her usually immaculately kept hair dangled in front of her face. Her cheeks were flushed red with effort and her eyes sparkled in contrast. Link had to pull himself back or he felt he'd lose himself gazing at her again.

"What is this?" she asked. "What happened?"

"I think we made a mistake coming to the village," he replied quietly. "It's Ganondorf."

Zelda's eyes widened again. "How…?"

Link nodded down at the dead creature. "This one was a spy," he said. "Fi told me. Moblin, she calls it. Ganondorf uses them as minions. Fi's certain that this one was after us." Link gestured toward Castleton with the Master Sword."I think they're preparing to attack."

Zelda blinked. "Attack the village…?"

"We could draw them away. There's probably others watching us."

Steel flooded Zelda's voice. "We'll leave immediately."

Link sheathed the sword and pulled off his mask. He spoke in a thoughtful tone. "What does Ganondorf want with us…?"

"And," the princess added, "how did he even know we were here…?"

The Moblin's eyes flung open, spilling crimson light into the air. Link and Zelda stared as its mouth twisted into an unnaturally wide grin. Then, with a sound like the whispery rustle of dead leaves, skeletal hands with thin, grasping fingers burst out of the ground. More appeared, forming a circle around the both of them.

Link spun all the way around. "Zelda!" he cried, lunging to grab her wrist. He drew her close, his arms wrapping around her in protection.

The skeletal hands revealed equally skeletal creatures. Sparks of glowing yellow light shone from hollow eyesockets. Zelda looked at each one in turn.

"Stalfos..." she breathed. "I thought they were myth..."

Link snapped his neck around toward Castleton - there was no more sign of any reflected metal.

"There is no attack..." he realised. "They just wanted us out in the field."

The Stalfos all stood in unison, and in one, slow voice intoned, "Ha. Ha-ha-ha-ha."

 _The Smiling Man,_ Link realised. _He's working with Ganondorf._

A faint, greenish light made him turn back. Zelda's hands were aglow with magic.

"What are you doing...?" he asked.

Zelda's expression was firm. "We're leaving."

The world stretched.

And then came back.

A blast of heat struck him first. Link caught Zelda as she toppled to one side, her eyes fluttering, then slamming shut. He looked around him. All he could see was a vast expanse of sand under a sun that shimmered high in the sky. A few leafless tree-trunks dotted the otherwise empty landscape. Link reached down for the Silver Mask.

' _Where are we, Fi?'_ he asked after putting the mask on.

' _Gerudo Desert,'_ the spirit replied. _'It's not safe here.'_

Link's face twitched. _'Outstanding,'_ he said.

' _It's not just the enemies here,'_ said Fi. ' _You both won't last in the heat. You didn't bring water, either.'_

"Was a bit too busy to pack," he mumbled out loud, then in his mind said, ' _Where to?'_

 _'Back to Hyrule Field. And quickly.'_

 _'Lead the way.'_

Scooping the princess up into his arms, Link began to walk.

And walked.

And _walked._

At some point the wind picked up, flinging hot grit into his eyes and mouth. Straining, his face whipped by sharp sand, Link had waded through the cloud of dust.

Eventually, the sandstorm abated and he plodded on, Zelda's arms and legs dangling as he carried her.

Fi suddenly barked into his mind. ' _Watch out for the -'_

Link stopped as his boot began to sink.

'- _quicksand._ '

He tugged his foot. It was struck fast. Worse, it just sank even deeper.

Link looked around in panic. Zelda was growing heavy in his arms, but there was no way he could set her down here.

' _Hookshot!'_ cried Fi.

Link almost slapped his brow. He'd forgotten he had the strange contraption. Setting Zelda's feet down onto the sand - they started to sink straight away but he had no other choice - Link whipped the hookshot up with his free hand and fired.

The spike ploughed into a sand dune with a soft puff but didn't hold. Link's jaws clenched as he retracted the spike. Both he and Zelda were now up to their waist in sand. His eyes caught sight of a dried and dead tree-trunk propped up in the sand. Link aimed the hookshot and pressed the trigger hard.

The trunk shuddered as the spike drove in deep, spitting chips of wood. Link activated the hookshot again. The chain went taut, struggling. Link growled through clenched teeth, the muscles in his arms and shoulders straining.

Circles of magical energy shimmered out of Link's Goron gloves, covering both the princess and himself. Then, finally, the hookshot pulled them both free, the whirring mechanism loud in the empty desert.

Link lay over Zelda's still-sleeping body, chest heaving and eyes closed. His heartbeat marked the passage of time. Then he hauled himself up, heaving Zelda into his arms again, and began to walk.

Time passed. Now the sun was mid-point in its descent. Link couldn't tell how long he'd been moving. His legs ached. His arms ached. His clothes clung to his skin. The princess still hadn't awoken.

Link's tongue was swollen and his every breath burned. The heat seeped through his boots to scorch the soles of his feet. Now every step made him wince.

He glanced down at Zelda. A film of thin sweat had coated her skin and her lips were already dry and cracked.

 _How hot is this place? How could this have happened so soon?_

Helplessness washed over him, making him stumble. His dry eyes could still see nothing except mountains of golden sand baking silently under the sun. He looked at Zelda again - her sleep was too deep, too unnatural even for her. It wasn't just her magic this time. It was this heat.

Something deep and primal in his soul reached out to whatever it was that had called to him from beyond time and space.

 _Help her._

Link looked up at the sound of tinkling metal. He squinted. His blurred vision caught sight of someone approaching. Link stopped, waiting.

A man approached on foot, tugging at the reins of a heavily-laden donkey. Link's eyes dropped instantly to the fat water pouches covering his belt.

"Ho, there," the man said. "Strange place to take a walk, friend."

The stranger's close-set eyes dropped to the princess. He licked his lips.

Link noticed, and tensed. "Water," he said. "We need some. _She_ needs some."

The man poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue as he pondered. "Well, then," he said. "We all need something. You need water. Me?" His eyes glinted as he looked at Zelda again. "I like to trade. Name's Beedle. And you know what I need?"

Link didn't reply. His sinking heart told him what was coming.

Beedle spoke again. "I need a woman's touch." He flashed a quick, ugly grin. "Sorry to be so blunt, but in the desert you don't get much time for small talk. Trade you a water pouch for the girl."

Link stood firm and glared through the eyeholes of his mask. "Give us some water."

Beedle chuckled. "That's how it is, is it?" He reached over to the bags on his mount, flipped open a flap, and slid a sword free. "Now I usually walk away from a trade gone sour. But I really want that girl." He grinned. "We fight. Winner takes all. What do you say?"

Link grit his teeth. When he'd pleaded for help, this wasn't what he'd been expecting.

He gently lay Zelda down on the sand and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. Link stood, fingers flexing, the sun beating down on his brow.

"I should warn you," Beedle said as he began to twirl his sword, his fingers deftly keeping the hilt in motion. "I'm trained in eleven elite forms of swordplay and martial arts."

Beedle grabbed the sword in his fist and thrust straight ahead into thin air with a loud "Ya!" He then sent the blade spinning into the air and, as it hung up high for a heartbeat, he broke into a cartwheel, catching the weapon in one hand as soon as he was upright again.

Link paced slowly, his face impassive under his mask, his eyes fixed on his opponent.

Beedle repeated the cartwheel-sword combo, catching the blade again with an easy swagger. "You know," he said, "I've always dreamed of this. Fighting to win the hand of a beautiful woman. And the things I've got planned for that hand..."

He somersaulted forward - and Link pounced, vaulting up and catching Beedle on the chin with a mid-air punch. The man crumpled to the ground. Sand puffed into the air as Link landed.

"Thanks," he said, crouching by the man's prone body.

Just like the Spear - the gamer he'd first fought in Kakariko's arena - Beedle was all style and no substance. Link knew the type. The academy had had its fair share of braggarts and show-offs. They knew how to move, but didn't know how to fight. Not real fighting, at least. Especially in a hot environment like this.

A woman's voice broke him out of his thoughts."Nicely done, lad."

Link turned, spinning out of his crouch to stand. A silver-haired woman with red eyes and decked out in blue met his eyes. He recognised her as the one that had fled with the young Zelda of this age.

 _Impa. That's what the princess said her name was._

The woman strode over to his Zelda, fell into a crouch of her own, and pressed her fingers against the princess's brow. Link followed, unplugging a stopper from the water pouch he'd pulled from Beedle's belt, then placed the pouch on Zelda's lips.

"Wait," said Impa, pushing Link's hand away. "Sprinkle water on her face first. And then a drop on her tongue. Or else she'll choke."

' _Listen to her,'_ said Fi.

Link sprinkled the water. Zelda stirred, as did his heart. Her lips opened slightly and Link squeezed a drop into her mouth. Her eyes fluttered open. A long breath whistled out of Link's lips.

"What happened...?" the princess said, her voice thick and groggy. She pulled herself into a sitting position. "Are we safe...?"

Hearing her quiet voice and seeing her so weak was enough to solidify Link's feelings. He pulled off the Silver Mask, leaned in and kissed her on her lips. She resisted at first, then relented, her eyes closing as she cradled his cheek with one hand. Link let himself go, losing himself in her scent, her touch, her very essence -

A sharp cough made them both pull apart.

Zelda looked around. "Impa...?"

The silver-haired woman looked from Link to Zelda then back to Link, an odd expression on her face. The air shimmered above her head.

"You," she said, addressing Link. "Does your wife know about this...?"

Both Link and Zelda started in surprise.

"His _what_?!" said Zelda.

"My _what_?!" said Link.

Impa sighed with a shake of her head. "I think you both better come with me."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"You have failed."

Ganondorf leaned forward on his throne of bones, his voice still echoing around the chamber. He had to admit that the throne was becoming more comfortable the more he used it.

The same couldn't be said about his new ally - the one who called himself the Smiling Man. He stood before Ganondorf now, most of his face still shrouded by his hood, and this time he had brought a hulking brute of a companion with him. The Smiling Man hadn't even bothered to introduce this newcomer. The insolence grated.

"No," the Smiling Man retorted. "I have not."

Ganondorf felt a muscle in his cheek twitch. If it wasn't for this man's magic, he could give into his rage and burn him alive. The thought almost made Ganondorf tremble in ecstasy.

"How so?" he asked. "You promised me Princess Zelda. And I, in return, let you have use of my Moblins and Stalfos to find your two fugitives."

The Smiling Man, true to his name, grinned. "Ha," he said. "Ha-ha-ha-ha."

Ganondorf swallowed down his fury. He hated that laugh. "What?!"

"I've found all three," the Smiling Man replied. Ganondorf caught a glimpse of his face and thought he could spy a hint of greyish skin. "My two... _fugitives._..and your little Princess Zelda."

"Where?"

"They're in Gerudo Desert. All three of them." He snickered."Together."

Ganondorf flew to his feet. "My ancestral home? They dare hide in the valley? I will send all my legions -"

"No, no, no. _No._ No you will not." The Smiling Man's words echoed in the resulting silence. "This is Behemoth." The Smiling Man gestured to his companion with one hand. "Send him in. He'll get the job done."

Ganondorf couldn't keep the growl from his seething voice. "Why?"

"Send in your armies and they'll run," the Smiling Man replied. "And besides, Behemoth has bested Li - " He coughed. "- Has bested my fugitives before."

The Gerudo's eyes narrowed as he slowly sank back into his macabre seat. "My spies tell me that your fugitives made quite an impression on the people of Kakariko," said Ganondorf. "They villagers even think that one of them could be the Legendary Hero. How could that be...? The supposed Chosen One is trapped in the Sacred Realm, never to return."

The Smiling Man waited, grinning. Ganondorf's patience snapped.

"Who are your fugitives?" he snarled. "Why do they remind the people of the Hero?"

"Ha," said the Smiling Man. "Ha-ha-ha-ha. Just a coincidence, my friend. Just a mere coincidence."

* * *

Princess Zelda watched as Impa tugged on a chain hidden in the sand, pulling free a metal plate that, in turn, revealed a descending staircase. Impa gestured for them to enter, then followed after sliding the plate shut.

Dim lanterns lit the way down, and the cool air here made Zelda's skin tingle with relief after all that intense heat. Her heart tingled, too, the lasting result of the unexpected kiss.

 _So much for being just friends._

But had she let her guard down too easily...? Had she been too trusting...?

The three of them hadn't spoken since Impa's revelation. Zelda tried to keep her mind focussed, tried not to jump to any conclusions, but she couldn't help but glance at Link's frown and wonder if it was all an act or if he was as confused as her.

 _A wife...?_

She wanted desperately for it to be untrue, but she knew better than to indulge in wishful thinking.

 _This feeling. This connection. I've never felt it before. Is it all a lie...?_

Impa stopped in front of a wooden door, reaching out for the handle - when Link finally broke the silence.

"I don't have a wife," he said. "When we step through that door -"

"We're going to see the princess," Impa cut in. "Your... _wife..._ helped us find this shelter. She was the one who told me to seek you out in the desert."

"But who _is_ she?"

Impa shrugged. "We just know her as the Lady in the Silver Mask. Or Lady Silver Mask as she prefers. It makes sense, no? You wear a silver mask, and so does she."

"It makes _no_ sense," Link retorted. "I wear clothes, so do you. Doesn't make us married."

Impa chuckled. "I like you, lad."

"Did she say what she wanted?"

Impa nodded. "Lady Silver Mask says she'll take you to what you seek. Something called the Breach of Black Glass...?"

Zelda looked at Link, but he seemed completely preoccupied. The troubled look on his face almost made her heart twist.

Almost.

 _What do I really know about him?_

A stray memory flitted into her mind – the woman they'd met briefly in Little Riko, the one who had made it clear that she and Link had had…relations. Worse, relations that he'd paid for. Zelda took in a deep breath. She searched for calm. She had her intuition, and her wisdom – she just needed to keep her mind clear.

As they stepped through the door, Zelda noticed Link once again don the Silver Mask.

"Impa!" The younger princess was sat at a rickety table, illuminated by a single lantern encrusted at the base in oil. Darkness clung to the rest of the room. "You found them!"

"I did," said Impa. She moved to the side so that the young princess could fully see the two visitors.

Princess Zelda felt a strange prickle over her whole body seeing her petite, younger mirror-image once again. It was almost dizzying.

"You made it," the young princess said with a smile. "I'm glad." She giggled. "Obviously! If you die, then I have no future."

Zelda decided she had to go straight to the point. She opened her mouth to speak, but the younger princess cut her off.

"Were you trying to warn me against Ganondorf's treachery?" she said. "Is that why you came back?"

Again Zelda made to speak, and again the young doppelganger got there first.

"And you've brought the Hero of Time, too," she said, gazing at Link. "I don't understand. Are you going to help us while we wait for the Hero to awaken from the Sacred Realm? I was so lost as to what to do. Impa wants to teach me the ways of her people. Subterfuge and deception, to be clever like a fox. I don't know if I have it in me. But now you're both here, we can -"

"I'm not you," Zelda said at last. Seeing the young girl's brow crease in confusion, the elder princess softened her voice. "I'm from the future, but not from your lifetime. In truth, I don't know from how far in the future I hail. We -" She glanced at Link. "- came here. To search for something important."

"The Breach of Black Glass," the young princess said. "I know. Lady Silver Mask told me. I thought it was something that would help us defeat Ganondorf." She turned to regard Link. "So you're not the Hero of Time...?"

"No," he replied simply.

"Your wife -"

"I don't have a wife."

The young princess blinked, clearly confused. "But she said..."

"I think," said Impa in a firm voice. "We should ask the lady in question to explain herself."

The younger princess turned toward the back of a room. Link and Zelda followed suit.

A beautiful, slender woman stepped out of the shadows.

* * *

The Smiling Man and Behemoth trudged across Hyrule Field toward the glimmer of gold on the horizon that marked the point the desert began. The grass was already fading here, the ground patchy as it morphed from earth to sand.

"I don't understand," the bigger man said. "How do you know where they all are?"

A giggle flew from the Smiling Man's lips. "Don't try to understand," he said. "Your brain couldn't handle it."

Behemoth growled, and the Smiling Man held up a hand in peace. "Come, now. You know me. I jest." He giggled again. "Ha. Ha-ha-ha-ha."

"So tell me what you know."

"What I _know,_ my dear friend," the Smiling Man replied, "is that soon we will bring Princess Zelda to justice. Remember. We're fighting the good fight."

"I don't see how helping Ganondorf does that. He makes people suffer. Only that runt Link should suffer."

The Smiling Man rolled his eyes. "Tell me you are not developing a conscience now. Remember that town where you beat 'that runt'? I didn't see you complaining about people's suffering then. You were causing most of it. Ha! These are the means good men have to take bring the rest of the world - or worlds in our case - the peace they deserve."

Of course, he hadn't told the big lug about his plan to wipe out _their_ Hyrule, his plan to not only end Zelda, but end his own painful memories, the dead family that still haunted him in his dreams.

And he hadn't told Behemoth that he planned to make Zelda's suffering long and painful, first in mind and spirit, then in body.

Behemoth was silent for a long moment. "So what makes you better than the princess...?"

The Smiling Man came to a sudden halt. "Stop," he snapped, anger clear in his voice and eyes, if not his ever-smiling face. "Stop thinking. Just stop it."

Behemoth looked away. "Tell me how you know where they are."

The Smiling Man sighed. "Magic," he replied. "But more than that, a magical friend."

"A friend...? What friend?"

"The only type I trust," the Smiling Man said with a giggle.

He snapped his fingers, then held out his palm. A translucent image hovered above his hand.

Behemoth frowned. "An owl…?"

"Ha," said the Smiling Man. "Ha-ha-ha-ha. Not just any old owl. Come on, big boy. All will be revealed soon enough."

* * *

"Well, hello there, my darling," the woman said, smiling as she slinked towards Link. "Where have you been...?"

Zelda didn't like her.

The woman did have a silver mask over the top half of her face, though the rest of her could do with covering as well - she showed a scandalous amount of skin. She walked with an easy grace, more so than even Zelda had ever managed.

A tiny needle of inferiority pricked Zelda's mind - but she crushed it instantly.

 _I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule._

Her back straightened, her chin held high.

"She's not supposed to be here," Link whispered. "Fi says she's an anomaly."

Zelda's gaze swept from Link's puzzled visage to the newcomer. "Who are you, woman?" she demanded.

The silver-masked lady glanced at Zelda for a heartbeat, dismissed her, then fixed her eyes on Link once again. "I'll show you who I am."

She reached Link, pulled up his mask, threw her arms around him and planted his lips with a deep kiss.

Zelda's eyes narrowed, her hands curling into fists automatically.

The woman pulled back, leaving Link looking completely stunned.

"What's the matter, beloved?" the woman said. Her gaze shifted to Zelda for a moment, then again back to Link. "Has your heart been stolen by this...wench?"

Zelda caught a glimpse of her young duplicate and Impa looking on in silence incomprehension. She knew how they felt.

"Well?" Lady Silver Mask demanded.

"The bad news for you," said Link, "is that I have no idea who you are."

"And the good news?"

"I never mentioned anything about any good news."

Lady Silver Mask laughed, a silky sound that floated into the air. "Ever the joker, husband dear," she said.

Zelda's eye twitched at the mention of the pet name.

The mystery woman spoke again. "I have a gift - the Breach of Black Glass."

Zelda swept aside her feelings as best she could. "You know where it is?" she said. This was what really mattered. "Tell us."

The woman's face twisted. "No!"she snarled

When Link spoke again, his voice was surprisingly gentle. "What is it you want?"

Zelda hated that her heart lurched. Was that tenderness in his tone…?

The woman chuckled, then twirled on the spot. "What do I want? I want you to be happy, dearest. I _want_ to take you to the Breach of Black Glass."

The princess frowned. "But you said -"

The woman pressed a finger to Zelda's lips. "You really ought to get a muzzle."

Again, the princess was tempted to ball her hands into fists and draw on her magic. But she didn't. She pierced through the fog of her emotions and saw what Link was trying to do - talk his way out of this.

 _I think._

A small voice spoke up. "I have a solution." It was the younger Zelda. "About Lady Silver Mask's identity." She waited until she had all their attention, then turned to her companion. "Impa?"

The tall woman nodded. "Your mask," she said, addressing Link. "May I have it?"

"There's something called the Lens of Truth," the young princess explained. "We don't have it. But we have some of the enchanted glass it's made of."

"I'll place the glass in the eyeholes of your mask," said Impa, beckoning to Link with her fingers. "And then you'll see the truth."

"Go ahead," said the silver-masked lady. "I'm not afraid of the truth. Are you?"

Link kept her eyes fixed on her as he handed over the Silver Mask to Impa.

Zelda felt her trepidation squeeze her heart. _What's happening to me?_ she thought. _Why do I even care?_

They heard Impa go to work on the mask. Link still hadn't moved his gaze from his mystery woman.

"I'll give you what you want," he said. "Just take us to the breach."

"Really...?" the woman replied. A look of triumph blossomed on her face. She wrapped her arms around Link's neck again. "It's a deal, lover. I'll take you to the Breach of Black Glass. And, in return, I get my heart's desire."

"Which is...?"

"You." A wicked smiled crept over the Lady Silver Mask's face. "I'm not letting you go this time. You'll stay with me forever. Cia and Link - husband and wife."


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Link looked into Cia's eyes. This woman, whoever she was, wasn't telling the truth. She wasn't his wife, he knew that. But was she also lying about the location of the breach?

 _And if she's not, do I take her up on her offer?_

Link considered his situation. He had no future, even if he did complete his mission. He'd go back home, sure – and then…?

 _I shouldn't have kissed Zelda. She's a princess, and I'm nobody._

The only thing he was good for was to fight - and he was tired of inflicting pain.

Zelda had to live.

But Link needed something from her first.

"I'll stay," he said.

Link saw Cia smile, saw Zelda stiffen as well.

"Excuse us," he said, taking the princess by the hand and pulling her out of earshot of the others. "I'll give you the Master Sword," he said in a hushed voice. "You can close the breach."

Zelda shook her head. "You're the one meant to close it," she retorted. "You can't stay here. This isn't your time." Her eyes searched his face. "Don't try to be a hero."

Link said nothing. He remembered the words of his second vision: _It is time for you to take up the hero's mantle._

He hadn't known what it had meant at the time. Violence and pain chased him like a hound wherever he went. The idea that he had anything heroic to him almost made him laugh out loud.

But maybe this was it. Weren't heroes meant to make grand, self-sacrificing gestures like this…?

Zelda was still staring at him. An expression of pain flickered over her face, breaking her tightly-held composure. "Why do you want to stay?" Her eyes flicked over to Cia. "What is she to you?"

"Nothing," Link said in surprise. "Princess, I don't know who she is. I swear."

Zelda's wide, blue eyes looked up into his. "You're going to stay. Only so I can get to the breach…?"

"Yes."

Link took her hand, looked down at it, and cupped both of his over hers. "She isn't my wife. She isn't. I want you to trust me on that." He looked up at her. "Because I'm going to trust you not to use the Dragmire."

Startled, the princess opened her mouth opened slightly. Link felt the urge to kiss her again, but he held back. "Say you won't use it."

Zelda's mouth widened as she made to speak – and then the whole chamber rumbled, debris and dust trickling down over their heads. They all looked up.

A familiar laugh echoed from above, followed by a growling voice. "Come on, runt! We're not done."

"Behemoth…" said Link.

"And the Smiling Man," Zelda added.

Link drew the Master Sword, laid it flat in his palms, and then pushed it into Zelda's arms. She looked up, startled.

"What..?" she said.

"Just take it," he replied, then turned toward Cia. He had to trust this stranger now. "Is the breach far?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Will you take us?"

Another rumble came from above. They heard metal screech – their enemies had found the entrance to the stairs.

Link hissed. "Will you take us, Cia?"

She held his gaze for a long moment, then nodded. "Follow me."

Cia strode to the darkened rear of the room. An iron door was set there. With clenched teeth and straining arms, Cia pulled it open.

"Go, princess," said Link. "I just need to get my mask."

Zelda nodded, then turned to Impa. "Come on!"

Link moved over to the table, slowly picked up the Silver Mask, and hooked it to his belt. From the corner of his eye he saw Cia disappear into the opening, then his Zelda, then the younger princess and Impa.

Link dashed into motion, closing the gap between him and the doorway in a pair of heartbeats. He didn't step inside, though. Instead, Link placed his hands on the iron door, let out a deep breath, then slammed it shut.

Zelda was safe now.

He turned around. It was time to meet his fate.

* * *

Gravel spewed from under Zelda's boots as she skidded to a halt in the dark passageway beyond.

"He didn't follow," she said, turning around. "Why didn't he follow?"

Impa shot out a hand to grip Zelda's wrist. "He's done it to protect you, girl," she said. "Now, let's get a -"

The ground between them split apart. Impa let go of Zelda's hand. The princess watched, stunned, as her younger clone and the tall woman were swallowed by the darkness.

Zelda spun toward Cia. "What's happened to them?"

"Calm yourself, dear," the silver-masked woman replied in a dry voice. "The closer we get to the breach, the more things start to unravel."

Zelda's eyes thinned to slits. "I asked you a question."

Cia rolled her own eyes. "Ugh. Don't fret. They'll be safe. There's a way out that way."

Zelda looked over to the empty darkness. "A way out...?"

"Oh, yes," Cia replied. "Plenty of them. And plenty of ways in, too." She tugged at Zelda's sleeve. "Come now."

The princess followed Cia as she walked on in the darkness. Zelda felt a faint, cool breeze wash over her face. They were clearly surrounded by empty air. The path they walked upon must be a thin and narrow. She looked up – and saw the faint outline of a craggy ceiling. So they were still underground.

Zelda's heart thudded. The Master Sword felt heavy in her hand.

And Link - what was he thinking? He'd stayed back to face the Smiling Man when she needed him here.

 _Idiot. I told him not to be a hero._

A thought occurred to her. "Cia," she said, hating how the name felt on her tongue, "Does this path branch off to those exits you mentioned...?"

Cia didn't reply. Instead, she came to a sudden stop. Zelda watched, puzzled, as the silver-masked woman held out her hand in front of her, palm up.

The princess blinked as she saw Cia's hand flatten against something solid.

A door. One set in a rock face painted entirely black.

The silver-masked woman pushed. A faint glow blossomed under her hand.

"This place," said Cia. "It's a conjunction between the Sacred Realm and our world. It's drenched in magic."

With a long, loud creak the door opened. Inside, Zelda saw a huge cavern lit by the same eerie glowing light as the door. It seeped in from the walls to their left and right. The two of them stepped further inside.

Princess Zelda felt her heart tremble.

There, in front of her, in the middle of an otherwise smooth wall, was a tiny slit of black glass.

* * *

Link waited.

The noise from above began to abate before dissolving into complete silence.

Link looked down. His eyes narrowed in onto the bottom of the stairs opposite him. He flexed his gloved fingers.

Link counted his heartbeats – the only sound he could hear now.

 _One, two, three…_

Something rustled from the stairway.

He tensed -

Then threw up his arm for protection as a wave of feathered wings surged into the room, hooting madly. He felt them try to scratch at him, felt them peck at his clothes.

 _Owls._

The birds formed a whirlpool around Link. He lowered his arm slowly and stared at the weird sight.

One-by-one, the owls began to morph and change, landing on the ground in human forms

A man with anger lining his face jabbed a finger in Link's direction. "Killer!" he spat.

Link looked at him, face blank.

"You kill for the princess!" a snarling woman said.

Link turned to her, his face still impassive.

"You were trained to be her personal murderer!"

The owls had become a mob of people now, baying and shouting.

Link decided his best course of action was to keep his gaze cast down. Composed, his dignity intact despite the hail of accusations now flying his way, Link turned and walked toward the iron door. The jeering crowd parted to let him pass.

He wasn't going to take this out on these birds – or whatever these things were. The Smiling Man's words were in their mouths, but Link didn't let even that bother him. His enemy could believe what he wanted about Link. The only murder Link recalled was Ilia's.

This was a distraction. The Smiling Man and Behemoth hadn't followed the owls down here - which meant only thing.

They knew where the princess was going.

Link pulled the door open, the metal twisting under the force of his enchanted gloves, then slipped into the passageway beyond.

* * *

It wasn't actual glass, Princess Zelda realised, it just looked like it. Black energy sprinkled with sparkling white dots throbbed within the thin crack.

 _Like a starlit sky at night_

She'd need to open the breach wider, and then she'd be able to slip her hand through.

Or slip something else through.

Zelda stared at the Master Sword clutched in her trembling hand, and then stared up at the black glass. This was it.

 _Why am I so nervous?_

She reached into her pocket with her free hand and drew the Dragmire out. The light pulsed in her palm. She looked from the sword, to the Dragmire, and then back again. Her eyes then gazed up at the glass again.

 _Is this really what I want? Link didn't want this._

She countered the unbidden thought with one of her own. _I did not promise him a single thing._

"You're the princess," said Cia, who stood patiently to one side. "Now and in the future. You are the ruler. No one tells you what to do."

Zelda found herself nodding. The whole of her vision was now consumed by the Dragmire's crimson light. It seemed to pulse in time with her heart.

She stared at the thin, thin line that glowed black. This little thing had been the cause of all their problems. She could plunge the Master Sword in and end it all.

"Remember your mother," Cia said, insistent. "Remember how she was treated by those foreigners."

A sudden surge of rage and pain accompanied a fresh flood of her memories. Zelda's face twisted from the emotion. Her breathing slowed. She held up the Dragmire.

 _No more fear. No more threats. Peace. All will be -_

Zelda blinked, her eyelids fluttering. She turned her head slowly to face Cia. "Wait," said the princess. "How could you possibly know about my mot-

They both spun around to the entrance at the sound of running feet.

"Link!" said Zelda, her voice flooding with relief.

He smiled back at her, his eyes shifting from her face to the sliver of black glass.

And then the ceiling shook, dislodging rocks from above and Keese from their slumber. Link ran over to her. Zelda felt his hand tug on hers, searching for the hilt of the sword. She slackened her grip, let him take the weapon.

The ceiling shattered and, in amongst the rain of rock and debris, Behemoth fell through and landed on his feet. He carried the possessed Rallis in his arms, and gently set the undead Zora down.

Zelda thrust the Dragmire back into her pocket. She flung a bolt of magic straight into the ground. It caused a jagged fissure that split them from away the Smiling Man and Behemoth.

"Stop!" cried Link, his voice echoing. All eyes fell upon him. He spoke in a quiet voice. "It's over."

Link spun around and plunged the Master Sword into the crack in the wall. The dark energy shattered, mimicking the breaking of shattered glass.

"Done," he said, his shoulders sagging in relief. He released the Master Sword's hilt.

Nothing happened.

Zelda frowned. Link whirled around to face Cia. "What's gone wro-"

But Cia wasn't there. In her place was an owl, the one Link recognised as Kaepora Gaebora. Its eyes were glazed over, its head rigid.

A hissing noise drew Link and Zelda's attention back to the breach. It was the Master Sword – only it wasn't. The blade glowed with molten orange light, the steel melting into hot, steaming sludge.

"Ha," said the Smiling Man. "Ha-ha-ha-ha."

Stunned, both Link and Zelda turned to face their nemesis.

"Do you like it?" the possessed Ralis cackled, gesturing at the black glass. "I made it myself. The breach _and_ the sword. Convincing, no? Ha-ha-ha!"

The princess's face twisted in fury. "What have you done?" she spat. Zelda glanced at the motionless Kaepora. "What is this?"

"Owls!" he said, grinning. "Owls are mine – all of them! Past, present, future, they belong to me. I can make them look like anything I want. A hidden wife, for instance. Ha-ha! Or I can speak through them. Tell you things through a wise sage's tongue."

Link felt like he'd been slapped. "It was all a lie," he said softly.

"Ha! Not all of it!" the Smiling Man retorted.

Zelda's voice was a dry croak, drained of all life. "And the Master Sword…?"

"That's not the real thing. Ha-ha-ha-ha. I got to Snowpeak long before you did, princess. Did you think a sword would have just stood there without anyone noticing? Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Link pulled on the Silver Mask. ' _Fi. Did you –'_

He started in surprise - the world through the mask was now blurred with a swirl of myriad colours.

' _It's the lenses,'_ said Fi in his mind. ' _The ones Impa put in. You can see into people's souls - blue is the truth, red a lie, and white is neutral.'_

"Yes," the Smiling Man continued, oblivious to Link's discovery. "I spoke through the owl. What I said about the Cycle was true. What I said about the breach being there with the first Zelda was true." He turned and wiped his eyes on Behemoth's tunic. "After our chat I even used the owl to dictate the very prophesies that _I_ used - will use - to find you in the future. Ha-ha-ha-ha! Isn't that insane?"

" _You're_ insane," said Zelda her voice flat. "The breach isn't here, is it? It's not in the past at all."

"Bullseye, princess."

Link's eyes bore into the Smiling Man. He saw the man's soul as a deep, rich blue.

 _Truth. He's telling the truth._

"You were the one who sent us into the past," Zelda said.

The Smiling Man nodded. His soul shone blue in Link's eyes.

The princess glared. "Why?"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" the Smiling Man cackled as Link watched through his lenses. "Because I want to. Because I like it." _Blue. "_ In truth, I don't know where the breach is!" _Red._ _"_ What I do know is that the Master Sword won't close it." _Blue._ "Nothing will!" _Red._ "And that's just the way I like it. Ha. Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"What now?" said Zelda. Her voice seemed broken by defeat. Link still hadn't turned her way.

"Now?" the Smiling Man replied. "After manipulating you? Filling you with false hope?" He looked at Link. "Putting a spike through your face and then healing it to make you trust my owl puppet? Well - now I just _prolong the agony!_ Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

The cavern shook. The ethereal light from the walls on either side began to burn with more intensity.

Link was flung to the floor as the ground between Zelda and himself, mimicking what the princess had done moments earlier, tore apart. The Smiling Man continued to howl with laughter. Link felt a tremendous force tugging him by the legs. He dug his fingers into the earth and twisted his neck around.

The glowing wall behind him had morphed into a swirling mass of magical energy, sucking him in.

 _'It's a portal!'_ cried Fi.

Link turned back, his eyes searching for the princess. The wall on her side had also dissolved into a whirlpool of magic, and Zelda was being dragged into it herself. But it wasn't even that, as bad as it was, that made the young Hylian's eyes widen in shock.

Link saw Zelda through the truth lenses in the Silver Mask. She was a luminous soul of dazzling white, her heart beating within. But something was wrong.

Her heart was split in two.

A jagged, black crack pulsed with every beat.

 _No,_ Link realised. _Not a crack._

It was a breach.

A breach of black glass.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

It was all a blur after that.

Link remembered losing his grip, tumbling head-over-heels into the Smiling Man's portal. The next moment had found him gasping for breath, saltwater flooding his nose and mouth, his arms splashing helplessly. Voices had followed, then multiple strong hands had gripped him and had pulled him up.

His palms had rested on grainy wood. His throat had gagged. Water had spilled out from under his mask.

Now Link lay on a bamboo mat in a cabin within the ship that had rescued him from the sea. The wooden hull of the vessel creaked and strained as the waves of the ocean crashed against it. His clothes had been ruined, and so the crew had given him a dark charcoal-coloured outfit and a somewhat flamboyant longcoat of a deep shade of purple.

A shaft of moonlight pierced the cabin's porthole and beat down on the Silver Mask covering his face. He hadn't taken it off in the presence of his rescuers. Something told him that he shouldn't.

' _I want to get this clear in my head,'_ he said to Fi in his mind. ' _The Breach of Black Glass isn't really glass. And it was in Zelda's heart all along…?'_

' _It appears so,'_ the spirit replied. ' _The 'black glass' was a metaphor, and the breach began, I believe, with the very first Zelda. It gave birth to the Cycle. That Zelda we saw in the past –'_

' _When she saw her father dead,'_ said Link, remembering what his Zelda had told him.

' _Yes,'_ said Fi. ' _That's what made the breach grow in that time. With your Zelda it must have reached its limit.'_

Link shook his head in disbelief. _'We were wrong about everything.'_

' _The princess's advisors were. All the things that seeped through the breach over the ages must have first come through formless and invisible, then solidified in different times, and different places.'_

Link only had one thought, urgent and tugging at his mind. _'So how do I close it now?'_

' _I think there's an eighty-percent probability that you already know.'_

He did have a hunch. He recalled their trip to Snowpeak, remembered his desire, desperate and sincere, to heal Zelda's pain.

' _You love her,'_ Fi continued. ' _That's how you close the Breach of Black Glass and end the Cycle.'_

Link sighed, withdrawing into his own thoughts. He was going to resist Fi's assertion but relented - the feelings in his heart as deep as the ocean outside. He did love her. He was sure of it now.

It wasn't what he'd expected. It wasn't a violent burst of passion. It was more of a quiet certainty.

"I just have to find her now."

And he was equally certain that he would.

Link picked up the thread in his mind. ' _None of the other Zeldas were ever loved…?'_

' _Some,'_ said Fi. ' _It's surprising how you Links never expressed it.'_

Link pondered on that, but decided not to follow up. _'I have to say it to her?'_

 _'And mean it,'_ said Fi. ' _And she has to believe it. Feel it. Accept it.'_

Link's eyes closed. "Fighting the dragon on Snowpeak would've been easier," he said in a quiet voice. In his mind, he added, 'How _do you even_ _ **know**_ _all this, Fi?_

' _I…I'm not certain It's like every time you – Link - learn something new, another key to my memory is unlocked'_

Link stood and looked out of the porthole. It was pitch black out there, aside from a glimmer of moonlight reflecting off of the darkened waves.

' _Where are we now?'_ He gazed through the empty eyeholes of his mask. The lenses had fallen out when he'd hit the sea. ' _The future? A different world?'_

' _A bit of both, I think,'_ she replied. ' _I'm not sure.'_

Link laid his arms on the circular window frame and rested his chin upon them.

The Smiling Man. _He_ knew. He'd known all along. He'd wanted to hurt Zelda, make the breach within her heart grow. That way, he'd destroy both her and Hyrule. Eventually.

Fi caught wind of his thoughts. ' _I believe the Smiling Man brought you both into the past to delay the destruction of Hyrule. After all, wherever - whenever- she goes, the princess takes the breach with her.'_

Link remembered the Smiling Man's spike coming down into his eye. It had been intended for Zelda, but not to kill, he now realised. To torture instead. He could have stabbed her and healed her over and over until the breach finally burst out from within her. And now this portal, splitting Zelda and him apart again, to drive home more confusion, give birth to more despair.

Link's hands balled into fists under his chin.

The Smiling Man had to be stopped.

' _I take it he followed us here, too.'_

 _'Both him and his large friend,'_ Fi replied.

' _I wonder why he didn't want us to interfere in the past.'_

' _He was correct in that, though. He's not stupid. Anything that damages the timeline could have massive consequences. He may have ended up not existing.'_

' _Thought he'd prefer it that way.'_

' _I think there's a seventy-two percent chance that his thirst for revenge has consumed him. In his mind, if he's wiped from the timeline than all his effort was for nothing.'_

She fell silent. Link looked out across the sea. Zelda was out there somewhere.

Fi broke into his thoughts. ' _Cia was an owl all along.'_

' _I know.'_

A mischievous edge entered the tone of the spirit's mental voice. ' _That means you were kissed by an owl.'_

 _'I'd rather she be an owl than a wife I never knew,'_ Link said. ' _That's enough out of you. I'm going to see the captain. I think it's time.'_

Link moved away from the porthole, shrugged on his new coat, and stepped toward a ladder of thick fibre that led up to the main deck above. A night breeze carrying a spray of saltwater met him. Most of the crew were still hard at work, scrubbing, hauling rope or just staring out at sea.

The first time he'd seen them he'd been surprised at how young they all were. The captain especially. Link spied the person in question up at the bow of the ship and made his way there.

"Captain Tetra," he said.

The young woman turned. "Mr Stranger-With-No-Name," she said. Despite her youth, her voice was vibrant and rang with authority. "Are you ready?"

Link stepped up to grip the brass rail at the front of the ship. There was a darker smudge on the equally dark horizon, split only by a trio of circular lights that were perpetually in motion. "Is that it?"

Tetra smiled. "It is. El Castillo Abandonado. Or, if you prefer, the Forsaken Fortress. That's where my necklace is." She winked. "East Tower. And that's where you need to be."

 _To get this necklace. In return for being rescued._

Just his luck that he'd been scooped out of the sea by pirates.

"Any ideas how you're going to get in?"said Tetra. "Those spotlights see everything."

"You have a catapult, right?"

Captain Tetra laughed. "You're not serious...?"

Link said nothing, just set his face in rigid determination. Not that she could see that with his mask on.

"Fine. Whatever," said Tetra, taking the hint. "Just get my necklace back."

* * *

Link found himself squeezed into a barrel that sat in the catapult's sling. He drew on his old training, keeping his thoughts and emotions detached, finding himself floating on a sea of calm.

"Ready?" said Tetra, her hand on the catapult's lever.

 _'I would like to have it noted,'_ said Fi. ' _That, yet again, I consider this course of action unwise. One of your very worst, to be blunt.'_

Link looked at Tetra. She was framed under the starlit sky, the moon directly overhead shrouded by passing clouds now smudged silver from its light.

"Do it."

Tetra winked. "I'll be waiting."

She yanked the lever.

The catapult's arm exploded forward, shaking the whole ship, and Link went flying, the wind tearing at his face and hair. The barrel fell away as he sped like an arrow, purple coattails fluttering behind him.

The fortress drew closer and closer and, with his eyes watering within his face taut, Link pulled his hookshot free and fired. The spike hit a tower and his Goron gloves went into action, encircling his arms with protective magic. Link manipulated the hookshot's chain, making it bend, and allowing him to swoop over the castle's outer wall.

The magic from the gloves twirled around the rest of his body. Link landed on a tower wall – the East Tower - opposite to where the spike had hit. He stood, the ground below directly ahead in his line of sight, the night sky behind. Holding onto the hookshot, Link then slid down the tower's wall and hit the floor. He retracted the spike and turned away in one continuous motion, the hookshot's chain snaking in behind him.

Link exchanged the hookshot for his crossbow then fired at one of the spotlights. It shattered, and Link turned into a crouch, aimed, and fired again. He hit the second light, then springing back upright, he swung the weapon over his shoulder and took out the last. Urgent shouts pierced through the newly settled dark.

' _Very smooth,'_ said Fi.

' _I studied a map of the place. One of Tetra's crew had it.'_

The Goron gloves made easy work on the lock on the tower's door. As he stepped inside the dark interior, light spilled out of the eyeholes from Link's mask –

And a fist struck him on the side of his head, sending him reeling. Link ignored the splitting pain and sprung back immediately, flying in with a fist of his own. Blocked, a green-skinned arm rushing up to meet his blow with a dull smack. His opponent tried another swing. This time Link blocked, his wrist cracking against the other's fist.

He ducked the next strike, and kicked the guard – or whoever it was – in the back. Moonlight flooded through the open doorway and Link caught sight of it, then.

It wasn't human, whatever it was. More like some kind of imp.

Link didn't have time to think about it. He dived for the door – he had to get it closed before this thing called its companions. But the imp anticipated the move. It swung in with a spinning kick that sent the wooden door slamming into Link's face.

Link stumbled back. The creature brought two fingers to its scaly lips, ready to whistle an alert. Link hissed and drove forward, diving into its stomach, and sending them both tumbling into a pile of crates lying beyond. Wood splintered. Boxes clattered to the ground. Link flew an urgent glance toward the door – nobody had heard.

 _Yet._

The Imp was already pulling itself to its feet. The endurance of this thing was surprising. Link would need a different tactic.

He whipped his hookshot to bear and pressed the trigger. Angling his wrist for control, Link managed to whip the chain around and around the Imp until it completely enwrapped the snarling creature. Link pulled, drawing on the Goron gloves for strength, and swung the trapped Imp up into the air and hurtling into the far wall.

Link retracted the spike. As the chain became disentangled, the Imp slid to the ground, limp and motionless. Link sprinted to the door and slammed it shut. He laid his back flat against the wood, his breathing heavy, his new outfit clinging to his skin.

He could feel a large lump ballooning up on the side of the face where he'd been blindsided. This wasn't as easy as he'd expected.

Cocky. He'd gotten too cocky. That's why his guard was down when he'd entered the tower. He'd started to think he was special.

 _It was that vision with all its 'hero' talk._

Link looked around the dark room, the light from his mask revealing crates and boxes marked with different symbols and colours. There was one particular box he was looking for.

"Let's find this necklace, Fi," he said. "And get out of here."

* * *

Link stood on the rocky shoreline of the island, listening to the waves crash against the surf, nose twitching against the smell of brine. At least getting out had been simple enough. Under cover of the dark, Link had used the hookshot to propel him over the outer wall. Now he waited as a small rowing boat moved toward him until it was only a few feet away. Then, Link broke into a sprint, his boots splashing, and vaulted inside.

The boat rocked as he landed, then sat. Captain Tetra glared. "Steady on there, slick."

Determined not to be surprised again, Link quickly scanned the interior of the boat. Two other crewmen were there with Tetra, and the woman herself stood next to a rough piece of cloth lying on the bottom boards.

"Back to the ship," said Link.

Tetra placed her hands on her hips. "I give the orders here," she snapped. "Have you got it?"

Link met her gaze. "I've got it." He pulled the necklace out from a pocket inside his coat.

Tetra glanced at her two crewmates. "Start rowing, boys." She then held out her palm toward Link and beckoned with her fingers. "Hand it over."

The boat moved off, the oars rising and falling. Impressively, the captain managed to stay on her feet.

Link's hand closed into a fist around the trinket. "And then what?"

"Excuse me?" the captain replied. A half-amused, half-annoyed expression hung from her face. "Oh, you are _not_ trying to double-cross me now, are you?"

Link's expression remained calm under his mask. "Isn't that what you were going to do to me?" he asked. "Hence the swords you're all carrying."

"We rescued you!" cried Tetra. She snapped her palm shut. "And we always carry swords!"

"Because you're pirates," Link replied. He pointed to the rough cloth. "Weighted sack. Did you think you were going to send me to the bottom of the sea?"

Tetra's frustration fled. She smiled, and folded her arms. "Knew you were too clever, slick," she said. "What do you want?"

"Safe passage across the ocean," Link replied. "I'm looking for someone. I need help to find her."

"Oh, spare me," said Tetra, pressing her brow with the tips of fingers. "We're not a ferry that chases down runaway…whatever your friend is."

"You won't get your necklace back."

Tetra planted her boots and leaned forward. "We can gut you in your sleep and take it, slick. There're more of us than you."

"It's that important?"

"It was my mother's," she replied, straining to keep the emotion out of her voice. "That's all you need to know."

Link opened his fist, laying the necklace bare. Tetra eyed him with thinned, wary eyes, then snatched her treasure back.

"I knew we shouldn't have fished you out from the deep," she muttered.

"I don't think you're the killing type of pirate, Captain," said Link in a calm voice. "You want to help."

"Don't start!" Tetra pointed to the sack. "What was that for then?"

"You'd have put it over my head," he replied. "A little scare if I didn't give you your necklace. But I beat you to the punch."

The pirate woman glared at him, her face flushed. Oddly, it reminded Link of Zelda's familiar glare.

"Fine!" she spat. "But just for one week!"

"Thank you, Captain Tetra," Link said with a smile as he leaned back in the boat. "I'm glad you've come to see it my way."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Captain Rusl stood atop the ruins of Hyrule Castle as the breeze, thick with dust, encircled him. It was so quiet now. Only moments ago there had been terrible earth tremors, and angry red lightning splitting the night sky accompanied by thunder that sounded more like a human scream than a rumble from the heavens.

Rusl had been certain that the whole of Hyrule was tearing itself apart. The land had groaned with each shake, spitting fire and magma out from the fresh jagged cracks.

Hyrule Castle had begun collapsing then. Rusl had ran, Midna and Sahasrahla in tow. Strange visions had accompanied him, like the fabric of reality had torn allowing him to peek behind the curtain into other worlds. He saw wheeled carriages that needed no horse, saw metal birds with rigid wings, saw people with strange sticks in their hands huddled around glowing moving pictures. He'd even seen Link and Zelda in some of those pictures.

The castle had collapsed, burying the visions with it. Rusl had barely made it out in time. He couldn't say the same for his two companions.

He felt nothing at their passing. Just a strange numbness that radiated from his heart and seeped deep into his flesh and bones.

And now it was silent.

Not totally silent - he could hear weeping, and soft sobs, and quiet groans of pain. People were still around. He stepped off of the rubble pile, dislodging broken rock and marble as he did so. Dirt stung his eyes.

Captain Rusl didn't care.

Why had the destruction stopped?

Had Princess Zelda succeeded?

One look up at the sky told him she hadn't. Not yet, anyway.

The stars bulged with scarlet light, looking like they could burst at any moment. They reminded him of the Dragmire itself. He wondered if all those stars were actually the different worlds that they'd spoken of.

No. It wasn't over yet.

The world was just holding its breath. Waiting.

What for, Rusl couldn't tell. But he was certain that if the balance tipped the wrong way, then the final push would come, and oblivion would follow.

* * *

"So, here we are," said Captain Tetra as she stepped of the rowing boat onto the soft sand. "The trader town of Windfall." She had her hands on her hips, her nose wrinkling. A trawler had dropped anchor not too far from them, laden with twitching fish enclosed in huge nets.

 _Hence the smell,_ thought Link. The wooden planks of the boat shivered as he jumped out to join the captain. One of the crewmen - Nudge - had accompanied them both.

"I'm telling you," said Tetra, turning to meet his approach, "if your lady friend is anywhere, she'll be here."

Link hoped so. They'd spent two days already searching the smaller landmasses, Link keeping vigil at the ship's bow, watching as it cut through the sea, the waves foaming against its hull.

They'd visited places with names like Rock Spire Isle and Greatfish Isle but had had no luck in finding Zelda. Link had assumed that since he'd turned up in a random place, then so may Zelda. He could still be right, but the captain had decided that the trading port of Windfall would be better.

Seagulls cawed as they circled overhead. Link looked back across the sea, the water glistening under the sun, and saw the pirate ship in the distance. They didn't dare come any closer - pirates wouldn't be welcome here and apparently the ship was quite well-known.

Tetra tapped him on the chest. "Hey, grumpy."

"Excuse me?" said Link.

"Grumpy," she repeated, then reached up to poke him in the chest again. "That's you."

Link blinked in surprise. It sounded so childish. That was the thing about Tetra - she was a strange mix of hardened pirate and young, playful girl.

"I am not," he replied, and instantly regretted rising to the bait

"You are," said Tetra.

' _You are_ ,' said Fi.

' _Quiet, you,'_ Link retorted.

"Come on, slick. Live a little. Smile. Talk." Tetra cocked her head to one side. "You don't talk much, do you?"

Link felt a slight crease cross his brow. The captain sounded eerily like Zelda when she'd said the same thing to him. Strange, especially as Tetra had very little in common with the princess.

"I'm wearing a mask," said Link. "You can't even tell my mood."

"You're wearing a mask," the young captain replied. She winked. "That's _exactly_ how I know your mood."

With an amused snort, she kicked sand up toward his mask. Link flinched.

Steel rang as Tetra drew her cutlass. "Come _on_ ," she said with a wicked grin. "Let's see what you've got."

Link held up his palms. "I don't have a sword."

"You don't need one."

She lunged toward him, blade thrusting. Link sidestepped, caught her wrist, then drove his weight down through his elbow. Tetra fell face-first to the ground. Link rolled off and back onto his feet.

Laughing, Tetra pulled herself into a sitting position and spat sand from her mouth. The waves of the sea sighed as they hit the shore behind her.

"Wow," said Tetra, shading her eyes from the sun with one hand. "No witty victory quip? Everyone needs a witty victory quip."

"Not me," said Link.

The corner of Tetra's mouth curled up. "Don't want to humiliate a beaten foe, right?" When Link didn't reply, she laughed again. "I _am_ right! You really need to lighten -"

"Hey," Link cut in, pointing. "What's that at your feet?"

"Where?" Tetra replied, craning down to look-

And getting sand kicked into her face for her troubles. Link turned away. "Heh, heh, heh," he said under his breath.

"Nice," said the pirate, spitting out more sand. "I deserved that." She called out to Link. "See? You are capable of having fun."

"Yes," said Link in a dry voice. "Look at all the fun we're having."

In a smaller voice she added, "Mission accomplished. There is a goof under all that grump, after all."

"Miss Tetra," Nudge rumbled. "Look."

The pirate girl was on her feet in an instant, poised and ready. They all turned to see a squat cargo ship pull up beside the fishing trawler to drop anchor. Its wooden hull was encrusted with thick stains, and the visible crew on deck looked equally as filthy. The ship itself seemed half-sunk - whatever load it carried was a heavy one.

Anger wrinkled Tetra's sun-kissed face. "Slave ship," she hissed, her hands balling into fists.

Link started in surprise. "You're joking."

Tetra glared at him. "Do I _look_ like I'm joking?"

Nudge addressed Link. "Miss Tetra ain't a fan of slavers, Mr...uh..."

Link said nothing.

"...Right," Nudge continued. "That's the kind of ship we hit."

"You pirate slave ships," Link said. "So not just in it for the money, then?"

Tetra rolled her eyes. "We _are_ in it for the money," she said. "The slaver thing is...just a hobby. And we'll deal with this one" - she pointed at the cargo ship - "as soon as we're done here."

She turned to leave, but Link caught her by the elbow.

"Let's deal with it now, Captain," he said.

Tetra smiled. "I like how you roll, slick," she said. "But we'd get too much attention here. We'll hit them when we're back on the ship."

As Tetra and Nudge walked off toward Windfall, Link cast one last look back at the slave ship. Clear sea, blue sky and golden sand - all the things he'd dreamt of when he'd tried to find focus in his amateur meditations back in the Academy. And now this, this blight. It seemed wrong somehow. A dark spot in such a bright place.

' _I've managed to analyse the life signs in that slave ship,_ ' said Fi. ' _None of them appear to match Princess Zelda's.'_

 _'Thanks, Fi,'_ said Link.

That only made him feel slightly better.

Link climbed up a hill populated by wild pigs and playing children. Grass swayed in the breeze. It was all very quaint and peaceful. All the more reason why the slave ship just didn't fit.

Link caught up to the other two as they waited under a stone arch. Tetra lounged against the structure, arms folded. "We're going to see what's trading," she said. "Meet us back here in an hour and we can check on your progress."

"That's all the time I need," Link replied.

A look of disbelief crossed the pirate captain's face. "Sure it is. Whatever. Just be back here in an hour."

They went their separate ways and Link walked slowly through the streets of Windfall, letting Fi scan every house and person, searching for the princess. The buildings, though crooked, were tall and shut out most of the sun's heat, leaving the moss-covered cobbled path cool and airy.

Link felt a sudden pang in his heart. He remembered walking the streets of Little Riko with Zelda, the two of them scheming how they would entrap Hanch, remembered how easily they'd worked together to execute their plan.

The bond Link had with Zelda had been there before he'd even realised it himself. And now it was thirsty for her presence.

Where was she...?

Link's ears pricked up as people passed, catching snippets of their conversation.

"- daughter gone missing -"

"- forest in Outset -"

Link shook his head. None of this was of any use to him.

Something made him pause as he passed a darkened alleyway. He could hear more voices - but there was no-one there. Curiosity pricked, Link sidled into the narrow space. The cobbled ground gave way to wooden planks.

Link frowned. The voices were coming from down below.

' _There are two men there,_ ' said Fi.

Link slowly dropped to the floor, and peeked through a gap between the planks. He saw one man in crumpled clothes sitting on a wooden chair, his legs propped up on a table. A lantern burned nearby, catching the attention of fireflies and the like. The seated man was talking to someone just out of Link's line of sight.

He squeezed his ear against the wood. Link was sure he recognised one of those voices.

"Your slaves are here," the man out of shot said. "Delivered as promised. Now, as we agreed, the Forsaken Fortress is mine."

"Used to be our stronghold, that," the seated man replied.

"And now it is mine."

The seated man snorted. "I've heard you've already started moving in. Heard there's weird creatures squatting there already, manning the spotlights."

"Forward planning," the first said in a prickly voice. "Nothing more, nothing less."

"Relax, friend," the second man said. "The fortress is yours." He held his companion's gaze for a heartbeat. "What exactly do you need it for...?"

Link pushed closer to hear - and instead heard the wood crack, splinter, and then collapse.

He landed on the floor with a dull smack, the thin chain mail under his new grey outfit absorbing most of the impact. Wincing, Link dragged himself up to his full height.

His mouth went dry. Now Link could see the unseen man and knew why he had recognised the voice. He was bigger than Link remembered, almost as big as Behemoth, and he was wearing some sort of billowing ceremonial outfit, but it was definitely him.

"Ganondorf..."

The bigger man narrowed his eyes. "Do I know you?" He peered. "Your mask does seem vaguely familiar. No matter. You won't be leaving anyway."

Twin swords slid out of Ganondorf's sleeves and dropped into his waiting hands.

For the second time in his life, Link was face-to-face with the tyrant known as Ganondorf.

And this time he would have to fight.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

Princess Zelda ducked as the whistling cannonball hurtled toward her. She dropped to one knee, and heard it splash behind, her face caught by the resultant spray of seawater. The little red boat she was in rocked wildly from the disturbance. She clutched onto the sides of the hull to keep balance.

The boat. She'd woken up in it, floating without a sail on the wide open ocean. She had no idea how either she or this boat with the strange dragon figurehead had got here. All she knew now was that they were being pursued.

Zelda turned at the sound of the Smiling Man's all-too-familiar cackle. He and Behemoth were on a gigantic, handsome-looking galleon. Its varnished wood and steel cannons glinted in the sun.

So far all the shots they'd fired had fell wide. Zelda knew that was intentional. They were toying with her, tossing the red boat to-and-fro like a child would do with a ball.

Steel struck flint within her – a spark of anger burst from her heart.

 _Enough._

Zelda drew herself to her full height, emerald energy streaming from her hands and eyes. The wind played havoc with her black-dyed hair. She would get the Smiling Man now. She would _kill_ him.

The princess sucked in a long, cold breath. Drawing her arms together, Zelda fired the magic straight into the sea. The water hissed as the energy funnelled through, steam rising to enshroud her. A huge wave rose from the point where her magic had hit the ocean. She pushed against thin air with one hand. Rumbling deeper than thunder, the tidal wave began to rush toward the galleon.

Jaw clenched, Zelda _willed_ it onward. Through her narrowed eyes she saw the Smiling Man rush to the ship's bow. He held up his palm.

Twin tornadoes spun up from the ocean and blocked the wave's path. Zelda roared in defiance as she _pushed,_ the muscles in her arms rippling from the effort.

Lightning forked the sky as Zelda and the Smiling Man pit their magical wits against the air. Dark grey clouds billowed out from thin air above them. Seawater swirled into froth. Hailstones began to pelt Zelda's face. She fell to her knees.

" _Haaa_ ha-ha-ha-haaaa!" the Smiling Man cried. His voice sounded so small in the maelstrom. "Give it up, princess!"

Zelda's temples throbbed. Tears flew from her eyes. They'd reached an impasse. Neither her tidal wave nor the Smiling Man's tornadoes were giving an inch to the other. With a final yell of frustration, Zelda pulled her arms back, drawing the wave _toward_ her. She dropped one fist and the tidal wave dipped under the red boat. Raising her fist again made the wave billow up again, the boat caught on its crest.

Zelda scrambled over to the boat's bow and clutched the figurehead's neck, her hands blanching. As she sped away, she risked a look back. The galleon had already begun to give chase, its sails full with the wind.

"No," she said, raising one hand. Zelda was ready to strike again, to hurl bolts of magic the Smiling Man's way –

When a flash of light erupted from the chasing ship. Its sails collapsed. Zelda blinked. It took her a moment to realise what had happened.

 _Teleported. They've teleported. But where? Why?_

Turning back, she glanced up at the carved red dragon head. "I wish you could speak," she said. "Then perhaps you could tell me where I was. And where I should be going."

 _Maybe you could even tell me where I could find Link._

Something in the distance caught Zelda's eye. She squinted. It looked to be a windmill perched upon an island.

 _Land. People._

With a twist of her hand, Zelda changed the direction of the wave to take the boat that way. As she drew closer, the princess could make out the outline of more buildings and even some boats rocking gently by the shore.

She frowned as a sudden realisation came to her. She wasn't tired. She'd used all that magic and she wasn't tired.

Zelda looked down at her hands and her frown deepened. Tendrils of black light were curling around her fingers. The boat lurched. She looked over the side. The tidal wave was starting to recede.

 _I didn't command it to do that!_

The princess held out a palm and gave a mental _push._

Nothing happened.

She tried again.

Still nothing.

The tidal wave had gone now, the boat just bobbing up and down on the sloshing tide. But the wave wasn't the only thing gone.

Zelda felt a sudden emptiness inside, the dying embers of a fire that now resembled blackened ash. It was quickly replaced by fear.

 _My magic. I've lost my magic!_

* * *

Ganondorf.

Ganondorf was here.

 _How? Am I still in Hyrule?_

No time for questions. Link waited, fingers flexing, his every muscle poised to explode into action.

Ganondorf lunged, one sword swinging, and Link dropped, the blade slicing harmlessly over his head. The steel shivered as it bit into a wooden wall and spat out splinters. Ganondorf growled as he struggled to free the sword.

The other man, the one who'd been sitting, kicked the table in front of him over, narrowing the space in the small chamber. Glass shattered as the lantern hit the floor and metal rods – branding irons, Link realised – spilled out from an open drawer. The man fled, departing through a door at the rear.

Link, when he sprang to his feet again, found himself with his back pressed against the opposite wall. Ganondorf had given up on the stuck sword and thrust in with his other one. Link rolled along the wall, dodging each clumsy strike. Steel flashed in warning, and Link jerked his head to dodge, then lashed out with a kick to the chin that sent Ganondorf reeling.

In that split-second Link dove across the room and, using the power of his Goron gloves, pulled the other sword free from the wall. He swung around, his sword cracking against Ganondorf's and locking together.

"Who are you?" Ganondorf said in a dark voice as he glared down at Link. "Why were you spying on me?"

Their blades slid apart. Link leapt forward, swinging his sword. Ganondorf had his own weapon up in an instant. Steel struck steel in another loud crack.

Ganondorf turned inward on one heel and ploughed his shoulder into Link. The young Hylian stumbled back, raising his sword at the very last moment to parry another of Ganondorf's strikes. Link deflected yet another swing from the bigger man, and their swords locked again.

Ganondorf bared his teeth as he pushed down with the blade. Link felt his boots begin to slide against the wooden floor. He tried to push back. He knew what Ganondorf was doing. The shoulder tackle was just the first step. Like Behemoth, Ganondorf didn't need any weapons - his body was a weapon. He would use his strength to wear Link down.

 _Behemoth._

Sharp memories flooded back to him. The taste of a painful defeat still stung.

 _No. Not this time. Not again._

Link slid out from under Ganondorf and, his free hand curling into a fist, he lunged in with a punch to the gut, driving all the force of his muscles into his Goron-glove clad hand. Ganondorf's eyes bulged as the wind left his lungs. Links fist cracked into the side of Ganondorf's head. A second punch went straight to the bigger man's face. A third was blocked - Ganondorf's wrist shooting up to hold Link's fist at bay - so he struck with his free elbow, straight into the tyrant's eye.

Ganondorf toppled backward, howling in pain. Link leapt, fist ready, and hit his opponent with a flying punch that brought Ganondorf to his knees.

Link breathed heavily, stunned. A grin grew under his mask. His heart surged. He even began to feel a little light-headed.

His grip, cold with sweat, tightened around the hilt of the blade. What do heroes do?

 _They slay the dragon._

Link raised the sword.

 _'Link!'_ Fi cried, her voice urgent. _'Someone has just -'_

An immense, invisible force was threw Link back against the wall. He tried to peel himself off - but to no avail. He was stuck fast.

"What…?" said Ganondorf. He pulled himself to his feet. "No matter. You're a worthy opponent. I'll let you live. If you call this living, fastened to that wall. Don't get too hungry now, yes?" A throaty chuckle burst from Ganondorf's throat. "You're not the one I'm seeking."

Ganondorf turned and headed out of the door, his cryptic comment left hanging in the air.

Link strained against his invisible bond. What was this? What was happening?

"Ha," said a voice in the shadows. "Ha-ha-ha-ha."

Fear curdled in Link's gut. With every muscle and sinew straining, he pushed against his unseen chains.

"Oh, I wouldn't bother," the Smiling Man said, stepping into the light. A smug-looking Behemoth followed. "I've made sure you won't be going anywhere too soon. Ha-ha!"

Link didn't care. His arms bulged as he tried to break free.

' _Link,'_ said Fi. ' _You have to -'_

The Smiling Man's eyes narrowed. "Quiet."

Fi fell silent. Link couldn't even feel her presence.

 _What has he done to her?_

"You know what I think?" said the Smiling Man. "I think fate is on my side. I mean, I'm always one step ahead of you. Always pulling on your puppet strings. It's just so _easy._ Fate wants _me_ to win. _I'm_ the Chosen One. _"_

He walked toward the overturned table. "Who knew that when I teleported it would bring us straight to you? And only moments after we'd been terrorising the princess. Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Link's eyes widened.

 _Zelda._

He tried to open his lips, but whatever magic imprisoning him was working on his mouth, too.

"Like I said," the Smiling Man continued, wood crunching under his boots. "Fate. Ha-ha! Now. I'll tell you something about Ganondorf. About why he's so angry. Interested?"

The Smiling Man picked up one of the branding irons and stuck the head into the burning remains of the broken lantern. Link's skin crawled. His heart pounded.

"I thought you might be," the Mask Salesman said. "Hated. Despised. Rejected. That was Ganondorf's lot. That was the life of all the Gerudo. I wonder – ha ha! – how you'd fare in his place?"

He turned to look at Link, his eyes hooded.

"You see," the Smiling Man said. "The people of this Hyrule are a…simple folk, shall we say? Ha-ha-ha! They're not even aware of all the darkness in the world. Like slaves in their pleasant little island." He raised the brand. It hissed against the cool air. He glanced at it. "But they do recognise this. The mark of a slave. Etched directly onto the side of the neck. They recognise it…and they're repulsed by it."

The Smiling Man stepped up to Link, the brand hovering near the young Hylian's face. Link grit his teeth. The radiating heat seeped into his skin. His eyes watered.

"Ah, now what's this?" the Smiling Man said. "I can see the trace of magic on you. Yes…a _healing_ spell. And not the one I gave you. I wonder…I wonder what would happen if I ...removed it?"

He clicked the fingers on his free hand.

Pain shot up Link's spine. Zelda's healing spell evaporated. Both his legs sunk like dead weights. He couldn't even scream - his lips were still fastened shut. Link gasped for breath as he fought against the pain. His blurred vision could only see the Smiling Man's grin and Behemoth's smirk.

"Wonderful, _wonderful_ ," the Smiling Man cackled. "I think it's time you came down from that wall, don't you?"

With a gesture from the Smiling Man's hand, Link tumbled to the floor. His fingernails dug into the wood. He tried to drag himself away. Link heard his heartbeat thud in his ears.

The Smiling Man snickered. "This is just too good. Both you and Zelda. You'll keep me entertained for a good while yet."

A cry of pain gurgled in Link's throat. He wasn't going to give it voice.

"Now, I'm not a cruel man," the Smiling Man said. "You can have your legs back. And your pain? I'll just move it...somewhere else."

He clicked his fingers again.

Link felt the weight lift slightly from his legs. The pain in his back became a dull throb –

Then shot straight to his left hand. His sword hand. The blade clattered out of his grip. Bone shattered. The Goron glove slipped off. Link clutched his wrist with his other, unaffected hand. He watched wide-eyed in horror as the fingers of his sword hand slowly drew together, merging into one lump of useless flesh.

The world spun in Link's vision. He gasped for breath again, chest heaving.

"Let me finish him," Behemoth growled.

"No!" the Smiling Man spat in response. "Not yet. Not today. This is my game." He waved his palm toward the broken lantern. It burst into flame. The surrounding wood quickly caught on fire.

The Smiling Man crouched down to address Link. "Legs still feeling heavy? Sore? Oh dear. Ha-ha!" He giggled. Smoke began to drift through the air. "We'll be going now. Let's see if you can follow before the flames get you. Oh, one more thing…"

His grip tightened on the branding iron, then he plunged it into the skin on Link's neck.

"Welcome to my world."

The Smiling Man's hated cackle rang in Link's ears.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

' _Fi?'_

Pain still throbbed in the small of Link's back. He could feel his legs - barely. They tingled, and felt like they were full of sand. The pain in his mangled hand was the worst, though. He didn't even want to look at it, didn't want to be reminded about how it had all fused together into one useless, boneless lump.

 _Broken. Lost._

Link tried to push away the thoughts. He sucked in hot air that burned the back of his throat. The fire was spreading, spitting as it vomited thick smoke. He coughed, then gagged.

' _Fi?'_

She didn't reply. Link had no idea what had happened to her. He couldn't worry about that now. He had to get out of here.

The Smiling Man and Behemoth had left through the same rear exit that Ganondorf had. Link squinted through the haze of smoke and glowing debris. A tongue of flame licked the remains of the wooden door.

So much for that plan. There was only one way out now.

 _Broken. Heroes don't break. You did._

Link dragged himself into the centre of the room. He could feel the heat through his clothes now, could feel his nose begin to clog. He had to clench his jaw against the dizzying pain.

 _Lie down and give in._

Reaching down with his only hand he unclipped his hookshot and aimed straight up. Sweat stung his eyes. The air shimmered with heat and was fast becoming black with smoke.

A long, low creak followed by a deafening crash made Link jerk his head up. It was one of the wooden ceiling beams, pried loose by the fire and now charred black as it lay burning on the floor.

That was enough to galvanise Link. He activated the hookshot, heard the chain whirr and rattle as it shot up. The spike slammed into the wooden ceiling above. Link pressed the trigger again and felt himself be pulled upward.

Glancing down, he saw the flames dance beneath him, saw the Goron glove of his left hand lying lonely on the floor. The fire swallowed it within seconds.

 _Broken. What use is a hero with a single hand and no magic-endowed strength?_

When he reached the top, Link flung his left wrist up over the opening he'd made when he'd fallen through and, using his stump as leverage, dragged himself into the alleyway above. Gasping, he pulled off the Silver Mask, and then curled up on the ground as he sucked in huge lungfuls of sweet, cool air.

That was when the pain in his hand gave way to the quiet whispering of his inner voice.

 _You thought you were a hero. Fool. It was all lies._

And he'd fallen for it, desperate like a parched man in the desert. Had he been that eager to feel self-important that he had thought himself a hero…?

Coughing and spluttering, Link managed to finally get to his feet and stumble out into the Windfall street beyond. His legs shook from the effort. The Smiling Man may have restored them - and his back - but he'd left Link with a trace of the old damage.

Link looked around, the sunlight sharp and painful after all that dark smoke. He hadn't known what he'd been expecting. A rush of people coming to his aid…? Kindly townsfolk offering water…?

It wasn't this, whatever it was. The people of Windfall gave him a wide berth, averting their eyes quickly after the first glance. Link limped down the street, his only hand trailing along the stone walls of the village buildings. Mothers, their protective hands firmly planted on little shoulders, hurried their children along. Men sneered. Others laughed.

Link felt the burn on his neck flare up. He'd been marked, branded like an animal ready for the slaughter.

 _Some hero._

No. This couldn't be his path. It wouldn't.

Link had to rise above it. He had to remember how he'd lived before. Detached. Flying on instinct and intuition. Before he'd opened his heart to his feelings for Princess Zelda.

 _Rise above? Like you used to rise above yourself whenever you passed a whorehouse? Stop pretending to be anything more than a mere human._

Link felt a flood of inky darkness batter the dam of his heart. He couldn't give in. He tried to detach, tried to find the sweet spot between serenity and alertness. He tried – and then the pain in his mutilated hand, his back and his legs came rushing back.

Moreover, every pair of eyes he met were filled with contempt, revulsion or, worse, pity. Some even held all three, as paradoxical as that was.

The dark weight of his emotions forced him to his knees. His vision blurred as he bent over a stinking gutter.

 _Is this the life of a hero? Really?_

The voice wouldn't shut up. Link had to distract his mind.

Captain Tetra. She said to meet her...where? His pain-battered mind whirled. He was losing his wits. His legs shook again, the knot in his back tightening.

How had it come to this?

 _You started to believe the lies. You believed you were a hero. Invincible._

"No," Link gasped. With teeth gritted, he pushed inwardly, tried to pull the hooks of darkness free from his soul.

It wasn't easy.

How had it been so simple before?

 _Because you had faith in your abilities. And then strength from those magic gloves. You wouldn't admit it, then - but deep down you thought you were chosen._

Every time his anguish subsided, it would bloom into life again like this, blindsiding him. Link didn't know how long he knelt there on the damp, hard ground. No one bothered him; no one gave him a second look.

Link took in rhythmic, deep breaths. His physical pain began to dullen. His inner pain still bubbled within, but not as violently as before.

 _I'm not a hero. I'm not invincible._ He breathed in deep again, felt the whirlpool in his heart begin to dissipate into the distance of his mind. _I'm no one. But I have a purpose. I have a path._

 _I have to find my Zelda._

The pain was still there, both physical and mental, but now it seemed he looked down at it through a window of thick glass set in a tall tower. He felt like his soul stood on quicksand, though. The slightest slip could bring everything down.

Something caught his attention up ahead. A pair of eyes that, instead of averting, bore straight into him. It was a child, crouched, raw fear clear from his expression. The boy's neck was marked. Finally Link could see exactly what a slave's brand looked like - a spiral enclosed in a circle.

He stood –

And a hand snaked out to grab his wrist.

A man, gap-toothed, red-eyed and bare-chested, glared at him. "What are you doing?" he spat. His voice held a strange accent and his breath stank. "Haven't we told you slaves to stay out of sight? Especially here in Windfall? Were you on an errand? Who owns you?"

Link stared, speechless. After all the things he'd been through, he'd never expected to answer a question like that. He could protest. In fact, every inch of his being screamed at him to protest. The doubting voice in his head had already risen to a scream, almost physically pushing him to object, to run, to do anything accept stay still.

"And where is that kid?" the slaver went on. "Damn runaways."

Link felt his gut turn to ice. And still - _still_ \- he felt like setting this man right.

 _You're broken. He should just leave you alone. Walk away. You're no slave._

But the runaway child was. And Link doubted that this man would believe him even if he did protest.

 _So what?_ the treacherous inner voice whispered. _You don't owe anyone anything._

Link resisted. He had to. Just had to fall back on his skills and observe. Wait for an opening.

None of this mattered to the slaver. He made a gurgling sound of disgust in the back of his throat.

His eyes were searching, sweeping up and down the street. Link pretended to stumble - it wasn't hard given his condition - moving in to block the man's sight from the slave boy. A quick glance told Link that the child had vanished. That was something, at least. Tension seeped from his shoulders.

"Watch yourself," the slaver growled. "Don't come too close. Ugh. Never mind. Looks like the kid's scarpered, the damn scamp. At least I can drag one of you back to the boss." He looked Link up and down. "Warrior-slave, are you? With one hand?" He barked a laugh. "Come on, scum." The slaver pulled Link by the ear. "Let's find out where you really belong."

* * *

Link stood on a windswept hill far from Windfall's main town. The fingers in his remaining hand curled around the cold grip of a sword. Facing him were two more slaves, each armed with a blade of their own. Both men were taller, their muscles more clearly defined.

A slaver by the name of Jak stood with his arms folded, watching the spectacle as he chewed on a stick that peeked out from one corner of his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, Link could see the fat slaver ship bobbing on the ocean. He wondered if Tetra would follow through on her promise to attack it. He wondered, too, if she'd come looking for him.

 _Probably not. She'll be glad to be rid of me._

Link savoured the bitterness of his thoughts. He'd been brought here after he'd refused to answer any of the slave-masters' questions. None of them knew who owned him. All they did know was that they had to give him a valuation - and this fight would be the judge. The fact that they'd let him keep his crossbow and hookshot showed that they thought little of him already.

 _It's the hand. They've already judged you because you've lost your hand._

Not so easy to detach now that he stood facing two trained fighters, with his sword gripped in his weaker right hand. It was gloveless now - the slavers weren't so stupid as to let him keep that. Doubts rose again to fuel his anxiety.

 _You'll lose. You're nothing now. Certainly nothing special._

Link clamped down on the feelings. Like before, he could only smother them, not overpower them. Pain radiated from the remains of his left hand, down his spine, and into his legs.

"Come on, Lamehand," Jak said in a lazy drawl. "Show me what you got."

Link glanced down at his left stump. He'd wrapped it up now in strips of thin, white cloth. Lamehand. Both the slaves and slavers had given him the name. They didn't ask for his real one. Not that he'd have given it.

 _Silver Mask. The Hero's Mantle. And now you're Lamehand._

Again the darkness threatened to storm his heart and mind. Again, Link pushed back.

 _It would be simplicity itself to just give in…_

And he did. Link dived in, swinging wildly, his aim and form inaccurate and clumsy. The slaves swatted aside his strikes with consummate ease. Laughter rang in Link's burning ears. All three of them - slaves and master - had joined in with the mirth.

Link closed his eyes and breathed in.

 _Stupid. That was stupid._

 _Give it up._

He turned to face his opponents. He'd allowed them to grown in confidence – Link could tell from the swagger that they now partnered their every movement. His right arm was already sore. He was used to holding a sword with two hands.

The two slaves took turns to nick him with their blades, leaving small, shallow cuts. Link's awkward attempt at defence only made them laugh harder.

 _Give up._

They were toying with him now, darting in and out with small strikes that left his arms and legs bloodied. He managed to bat aside one or two of the attacks, but the majority still struck home.

Link couldn't remember a time when he'd been a soldier, a warrior. Everything before this day now seemed like a fading dream.

All he knew was pain.

The sharp edge of a blade glanced against his forehead. Link felt the sting, and blinked as the blood trickled into his eye.

How could he fight back one-handed, and his weaker hand at that…?

 _You can't. Give up. Give up!_

 _GIVE UP!_

Link heard the whispers of his inner voice.

And finally made his decision.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

The Smiling Man stood atop a tall mound, hands clasped behind his back. On the smaller hill below he watched Link struggle to fight against the two slaves. He'd have smiled right now if he didn't already have one permanently etched on his face.

 _Not my face. The Zora prince's._

His real body was back safe and snug in his Hyrule, cocooned in a magic shell, his every sense sunk in a deep meditative trance. Truth be told he was getting a little tired of living in Prince Ralis's corpse. He'd only done it to needle Princess Zelda. Now it was a bit of a bore. That, and the fact that even his magic couldn't halt all the decay. He even squelched with every step now.

"Ew," he said, then laughed.

Behemoth said nothing. In fact, he'd been in a sullen silence ever since they'd left Link crawling in Ganondorf's underground hideout.

"Oh, don't mind me," the Smiling Man said. "Just a little private joke. My head aches. You know why? It's just bursting with knowledge - ha-ha-ha! Ha _haaaaa._ This is just beautiful, don't you think?" He gestured toward the scene unfolding below. Sunlight glinted off of metal as Link was pushed and prodded by the two swordsmen.

"Oh," he went on. "You see that coat Link has on? I know where he got it. I just know _so much._ " His voice collapsed into fit of giggles before he managed to get a hold of himself. "He's met Tetra. That's who had that coat. He doesn't even know who she is. And _he's_ met her before _she's_ met _her_ Link. I've travelled through all the manifestations of the Cycle, you see. I know it all. Time and space - just my little game board. And Link and Zelda are my toys to do as I will."

The Smiling Man paused to wipe a tear from the Zora's liquid-black eye.

"Now," he pressed on with a deep sigh. "It's a pity I'm going to have to bring it to an end soon. You see - ha! - I sense that Princess Zelda - our Zelda - is all out of magic. Now, big boy, as I understand it, that's a precursor to the big goodbye. The breach is about to burst." He paused, then said, "Are you even listening to me?"

He turned to Behemoth. The big man just stood there glowering, stewing in some sort of inner dialogue.

"What's wrong with you?" the Smiling Man said. "In awe of my genius? My power? Ha! I don't blame you. But, please. The time for fawning isn't now. You know what we have to do. We cannot allow Princess Zelda and this Link to reun-urrrk!"

Behemoth's big, meaty hand curled around the Smiling Man's neck. "If you don't want them to meet again," he growled as lifted the undead Zora off his feet. "Why didn't you just kill them? I was the one who broke Link. I should be the one to finish him off. It's my right. It's all I have left."

The Smiling Man flapped his arms uselessly. "Let...me...go...you...big...ha!...lump!"

Behemoth dropped him. The Smiling Man gasped for cool air to ease his burning throat. He knelt in the dirt as he breathed in.

Behemoth peered down at him, unmoved. "Why do you even need to breathe?"

"Shut up," the Smiling Man shot back. He clambered to his feet and glared up at his large companion. "Don't you get it? Ha! Are you really that dim? The Breach of Black Glass is ripe for the bursting. That means poof! Everything gone! Including you! I thought you'd gotten over your little woe-is-me-please-let-me-die phase."

Anger seeped through Behemoth's narrowed eyes. "I want to finish Link. Then we'll discuss your little plan to end the world."

The Smiling Man didn't like the sound of that. There was an edge to Behemoth's voice that he'd never heard before.

He'd have to do something about that.

 _Why are you doing this at all?_

The Smiling Man gasped as the familiar voice crept into his mind. Sweet, gentle, dead - Marie, his wife.

 _Stop this, my darling. Stop this madness._

Frost fell over his soul. Guilt nudged his heart. For a moment, his curse was broken, his ever-present happiness rolling away.

But only for a moment.

"Are _you_ listening to _me_?" Behemoth rumbled.

The Smiling Man blinked away tears. "Fine," he said. "Link is yours."

A cold grin spread over Behemoth's face. His hands curled into fists. "Let's get down there before those slaves finish him off."

"Ha," said the Smiling Man as he peered out to sea. "Ha-ha-ha. I don't think we're going to need to do anything at all. Look!"

* * *

"No."

Link vocalised his response to the slinking, whispering inner voice.

Jak glared. "What?"

 _I said no. That applies to you, too, slaver._

He didn't have one hand. That was the truth. So Link had two choices – embrace the truth, no matter what face it showed to him, or run and hide from it.

The grinning slaves began to circle around him. Link watched as, with muscles coiled, he dropped into a fighting stance. He heard the sigh of the sea in the distance, saw the outline of the strange windmill-shaped building that dominated the island's skyline from the corner of his eye.

And then Link cast his weapon aside and stood tall, his single hand forming a fist.

The smiles slowly faded from both the slaves. The two fighters perked up, eyes wary.

Jak frowned and uncrossed his arms. "Pick up your weapon, boy."

"I don't need it," Link replied.

If he couldn't use a sword, then he _wouldn't_ use a sword.

After all, it wasn't like he ever relied on that one weapon, was it?

"Don't be a fool," said Jak. "This is madness. I ain't even sure what you're trying to achieve here."

 _Neither do I._

A wry smile touched Link's lips. Tetra was right. He'd been too wrapped up in himself.

Grumpy, that's what she'd called him. Grim, distant, smug – is that what she'd meant? Is that how Zelda saw him...?

He glanced at his ruined left hand. _And now I've been cut down to size._

It was funny. The world was funny. His smile widened.

That just confused his two opponents further. They cast uncertain glances at each other. Link waited, watching, his dark purple coat now a bit tattered with burn holes and soot, the little cuts to his skin still stinging, his back and hand still throbbing. The two slaves exchanged looks again – and that's when Link saw it. They were friends. The two men were friends. He could use that, make sure that no-one would get hurt.

 _Not too much, anyway._

A fog lifted from his heart and mind. Either his feelings rode him like a horse, or he rode them. He couldn't be rid of them. But he could decide how to act on them.

 _Just a walking jumble of contradictions, that's me. But then, so is almost every person who's ever lived._

But the only matter that had any importance was the fact that the doubting voice had finally been silenced.

Link feinted a punch to the right, making the slave standing there jerk backward. Again, the two men circled Link, cautious and wary. They could cut him down easily. He felt the sharp, cold edge of fear. Very different to when he'd shunted his emotions aside.

"Come on!" Jak shouted. "Hurry it up, slaves! I've seen whores fight with more passion! I'm famished here!"

Link had a feast for him. It involved his fist punching the slaver's teeth down his throat.

"Why do you smile, Lamehand?" one of the men said. "Are you not afraid?"

 _Yes._

"No."

"You have the mark of a slave. You lack one hand. You find your predicament amusing?"

"I have to," Link replied. "Or else I'd be forced to take myself too seriously."

"Well, if you won't," the man said, his voice darkening. "Then neither will we!"

He moved in, sword thrusting. Link ducked the first slice, then pirouetted on one heel to dodge a lunge from the second man. That slave's sword arm reached past Link - and that led him to sharply jab his elbow down to strike that very same limb. Steel flashed in the sunlight as the slave's blade went spinning out of his grasp. A gust of wind blew at that instant, sending Link's coat billowing.

Link then hooked his left arm around the slave's own, trapping him. The man struggled, and Link had to strain just as much to keep a hold of him.

The loss of a hand hadn't just affected his swordsmanship. Link's body had been finely balanced after years of Academy training and downing Red Potion. Now he had to readjust his weight, rethink his strategy.

"Don't fight," Link hissed through clenched teeth. "We don't need to fight."

"We obey," the first man said in a voice as hard as granite. "That's all we're good for."

Link threw him an incredulous glance. "You don't believe that."

"Shut up."

The man leapt in - and froze, eyes wide as Link drew his crossbow up with his right hand to point it at his captive.

"Don't," the first slave gasped, the bravado seeping out of his voice like a leaking balloon.

Link had guessed right then. "Back off," he growled.

True to his word, the slave obeyed.

Jak laughed, and clapped slowly. "Very good," he crowed. "Very, very good"

Breathing heavily, Link felt a dizzy sense of triumph. He savoured it for a moment, then held it at bay with a gentle push from his heart - he was no soulless, unfeeling ReDead like from a child's fairy tale, but at the same time he wasn't going to allow anything to dull his senses.

Focus. There was still danger here.

Digging his heels into the dirt, Link tightened his grip around his captive. The wind rolling off of the ocean made the tails of his coat flap and flutter. The slave in his grasp was now flushed red as he continued to struggle.

"Stop him," the first slave said, his voice high with panic as he watched his friend's plight. "Please. Make him let go."

Jak walked over and cuffed the man around the ear. "You don't give me orders." He turned to Link. "Like I said, boy. That was very good." His voice curdled as he folded his arms again. "Too good, in fact," he said. "Who are you really? Who trained you?"

Link said nothing.

"You can kill him," Jak said, gesturing at the captive slave. "He was worthless anyway."

"No!" the other man cried.

A faint whistling noise then sliced through the air. They all looked up as one.

Too late. A cannonball ploughed into Jak, shattering him, his body flopping and rolling across the grass like a broken puppet cut from its strings.

Link whirled around – and saw Tetra's pirate ship driving in toward the island, masts at full sail, one of its cannons still trailing smoke.

He released his captive from his grip. The man scrambled away, catching his companion by the sleeve.

"You two should go," said Link.

Suspicion lined the first slave's face. "What…?"he said. "Go? With you? Do you own us now, Lamehand?"

Link felt his heart squeeze at that response. " _Go._ "

"We…we can't," the slave he'd held captive said. "We've lost our master." He glanced toward Jak's crumpled and broken body. "Slaves need a master. Even a Lamehand like you." His own hand lifted unconsciously to touch the mark on his neck. "People will ask."

"Then tell them the Silver Mask owns you," Link replied.

The first slave glanced down at the mask hanging from Link's belt. "So, you do own us?"

"No, my friends," he replied. "That's what you _tell_ them."

He smiled. The two slaves took the hint. As they ran to embrace their newfound freedom, Link watched, his face now blank, the sea breeze ruffling his golden hair.

 _How long have they lived like this? They think they're nothing but chattel._

Link hoped that he would never treat another person like that.

And then he realised that he hadn't even asked them their names.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Princess Zelda was thirsty.

The little red boat was drifting aimlessly now, the current taking it away from the island she'd spotted before. No sail, no magic, no fresh water.

 _It cannot end like this. It can't._

But why couldn't it? She wasn't the one that was supposed to close the breach.

 _I'm the princess of Hyrule. Fate can't let me die._

 _And where is my magic?!_

Anger flared in her heart, and then died just as quickly, smothered by fatigue. She was so very tired of feeling angry. And now, trapped under the sun's heat in the middle of the sea, deprived of her magic, she realised it wasn't even anger at all.

 _Fear. I lived in fear all my life. Fear of unseen threats. Of my people being struck down just like mother had been._

All she wanted was to feel safe. It was childish, it was weak, even. But maybe, just maybe, it was natural. Human.

 _Link._

Zelda's heart fluttered. Her feelings turned to sorrow. She wanted to see him, one last time. He wasn't the brutish soldier that she'd assumed. He was...different.

Princess Zelda had never given much stock to the fancy poems and tales of romance that her handmaidens endlessly giggled over. She didn't believe love was like that. And she was right.

Her mistake had been to think that there was no love at all.

Zelda licked her cracked lips. Even her tongue felt dry. She had no idea how long she'd been floating here. She didn't even care about seeing her home and people again. Just Link. Just one more time.

 _And say what to him...?_

A shadow fell over the little red boat. Swirling dark energy formed above it. Zelda rose to her feet, her face rigid. She knew who it was. And now she was defenceless. She felt naked.

No last words for Link, then. No last glimpse of Hyrule.

Zelda felt a sudden surge of emotion. The Dragmire felt like a heavy weight in her pocket, as though reminding her of its presence. _A pox on this whole venture. Maybe it's best if the breach did take us all._

Zelda blinked rapidly. As though in response to her thoughts, more black light, thick like tar, curled around her fingers. Puzzlement creased her face.

The Smiling Man's galleon tore out of the portal and crashed into the sea. A huge wave rose from the impact and hit the red boat, knocking Zelda to the floor. She sat, drenched, watching as seawater gushed out from the galleon's open portholes.

The Smiling Man and Behemoth peered over the galleon's side. Zelda just glared. She wouldn't show any fear to either of these cretins.

"Ha," the Smiling Man said. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! Guess who teleported back to the ship...? Can you guess? No...?"

Zelda kept silent. Her last actions in this life weren't going to be wasted arguing with this madman.

"Still got your little magic rock?" the Smiling Man said. "Ready to plunge it into your heart?"

Zelda almost frowned. Plunge the Dragmire into her heart...? What was this fool babbling on about?

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! You're confused. Don't worry. I just need you to open the breach wide enough to end Hyrule. Past, present and future. And, then, with a little spell I concocted, you'll die. See the breach will keep you alive until its work is done. But - ha! - I've found a way around that. No need for any other world to be hurt."

Now Zelda felt compelled to speak. "I can't open the breach," she called. "I don't even know where it is."

The princess gasped suddenly as she felt an invisible coil tighten around. Slowly she began to levitate out of the boat, rising slowly into the air as the Smiling Man gestured with his hand. She struggled, but it was no use. Zelda hissed. She hated feeling this helpless.

As soon as she was eye-level with her enemy, he curled his fingers inward to pull her on aboard.

"Why don't we have a little chat, princess?" he said in cold, quiet voice. "And I'll explain everything."

* * *

Captain Tetra's voice met Link as he stepped aboard the pirate ship.

"What the heck happened to you?!" She glared, hands on hips. "I leave you alone for five minutes and you get sold into slavery and lose a hand! You are _so_ irresponsible!"

Link said nothing. He knew she'd fill the silence. Most people did. Sometimes they even told him something worth knowing.

Her glare lasted a few seconds longer. "I told you I hate slavers," she finally said in a softer voice. "I got back to the ship and saw that guy through my telescope. Didn't even know you were there."

Link smiled. Not that Tetra could see - he'd donned the Silver Mask again. "Thanks for the rescue," he said as he clasped her shoulder with his only hand. "You're right. It was irresponsible of me to lose a limb. I'll try harder not to next time."

Tetra glanced down at his hand on her shoulder, then frowned. "Whatever," she said, shrugging him off. She gestured with her chin. "We can get you a tattoo to cover that slave mark if you'd like."

"No," Link replied. "Leave it."

 _It'll remind me never to get a swelled head._

Tetra snorted. "You can't stroll around with that thing on your neck."

Link's reply was in a gentle voice. "I said to leave it, Captain."

Tetra rolled her eyes. "So did you find your friend?" she said instead.

"No," Link replied simply.

Not only had he not found Zelda, but the Silver Mask was cold and silent now. He'd lost Fi. Another notch on the Smiling Man's list of crimes.

"So," the pirate captain said, "the whole thing was a massive waste?"

Link shrugged. "I wouldn't say that."

"Oh?"

"I learnt things. Mainly about myself." He raised his bandaged left hand. "So you could say the trip came in a bit...handy?"

Captain Tetra stared, stony-faced. "You're an idiot."

Link smiled, then walked across the seawater-soaked deck to look out at the deep blue ocean. _Where are you, princess?_

He thought back to what the Smiling Man had said. Fate had conspired to make things run smoothly for Link and Zelda's foe.

 _Why?_

Link swayed as his vision suddenly darkened, the sound of the sea fading away.

He sensed the presence from beyond time and space, sensed it write its will upon his heart.

 _Did you think taking the Hero's mantle would be easy?_ it said. _Did you think you wouldn't be tested? Your heart needs to be plunged into a crucible of pain and struggle so that it comes out the other side stronger, resilient and aware. Now you will see the troubles of others and know truly what they endure. Do you understand now...?_

The world came rushing back. Link stood, pensive, staring out at the horizon as the words sunk in. He sensed Tetra's presence behind him.

"So," she said. "What now?"

"I don't know," he replied, not turning. With Fi gone, it would even harder to find the princess.

He heard Tetra take in a breath to speak. "I still say Windfall's your best bet, slick. We'll sail out for a bit, then come back. Don't want to attract too much attention. Probably take a few days, though."

Link cocked his head to one side. "I thought you said I only had a week...?"

"Raise anchor!" Tetra called. "Get a move on, you miserable swabbies!"

Link smiled. She'd pretended not to hear his question. She was a good person. She just didn't want to show it.

 _A bit like Zelda._

Link moved off toward a portal set in on the deck floor. He slid down a ladder and made his way to a large chamber containing a series of platforms and ropes. He looked up. The ropes swayed slightly in time with the momentum of the ship. The pirates used this room for training, jumping and swinging from one platform to another.

Link needed a new strategy. He'd bulked up before, drawing on the Red Potion in his veins and the Goron gloves for quick results. He'd thought that getting stronger would be what he needed to take on Behemoth.

But as his latest vision reminded him, there were different types of strength.

Link spent the next day holed up in that training room. First he filled four barrels with as much junk as he could find, then dragged two of them, one clutched in his right hand, the other tied to by a rag to his left wrist.

He then, with some help from Nudge, hung all four barrels from four of the ropes, leaving two ropes free. Using explosive strikes as he leapt and lunged from platform to free rope to platform, his right fist and left elbow reduced each swinging barrel to splinters.

Occasionally, Nudge or Tetra would come in to watch. They never said a word, either of them. They brought him more barrels. Sometimes they brought food, too. Fish, mostly; the pirates practically lived off of the stuff.

By the end of that first day Link's forearms felt stronger, and he felt more raw power coiled up in all his muscles, ready to erupt at speed.

Another two days passed. The remaining Red Potion within him worked on his body in time with his training. He grew leaner, his shoulders broader, and now was more agile, his still-throbbing spine having less weight to carry.

He awoke at dawn on the fourth day. The ship creaked as it gently rose and fell in time with the tide. Link stood, feeling the sharp squeeze in his lower back, the burn on his neck and the tight pain in what remained of his left hand.

He hadn't thought about Zelda since he'd begun. The training had distracted him from that.

 _And from missing Fi._

 _And Illy._

Now he felt the absence of all three in a hollow pit in his soul. This time he didn't retreat into himself, didn't detach from the feelings.

Instead he used the energy they stirred up to spring across to the first platform. A barrel swung toward him - he always set up new ones before retiring to sleep the night prior - and his right fist shot out, his arm stiffening as it reached its full extension. Wood exploded.

Link used the momentum to leap into the air, catching one of the free ropes and then using his bodyweight to swing toward another barrel. At the very last moment, his threw out his legs to shatter the wood with a two-footed kick. He let go and landed on another platform in a deft crouch, then did it all again until he reached the other side of the chamber.

Link stood, sweat lining his face, and breathing heavily. Faster, leaner, stronger. Link smiled. "It's time," he whispered.

As if on cue, a shout from above cracked the air like a whip. "Ship ahoy!"

Link leapt back across the platforms, stooped to scoop up the Silver Mask, then scrambled up to the main deck as he slid the mask over his face. He sprinted across to the bow where Captain Tetra stood with Nudge and the ship's helmsman, Gonzo. All around him the other pirates were in a rush - the men named Niko, Mako and Senza tying down anything that was loose.

A galleon was approaching, cannons jutting from each side, massive sails billowing, dwarfing anything the pirate ship had.

"Haven't a clue who they are," said Tetra softly. "Or why they're heading our way."

"You do have a lot of enemies, Miss Tetra," said Nudge.

"Yeah," she replied with a shrug. "True."

Link felt a prickle down his spine. He raised his crossbow with his right hand, balancing it on his left forearm, then peered through the scope.

"Evasive manoeuvres, Captain?" asked Gonzo.

Link felt Tetra's eyes on him.

"Wait," she said.

Link twisted the scope. Blurred images slowly morphed into the shape of three people - one tied in rope, the other two standing. Link recognised all three. His heart clenched.

"It's her," he said. "They've got her."

Tetra took another glance at him, then turned on her heels.

"All hands!" she shouted through cupped hands, her eyes quickly flicking to each of her men in turn. " _Battle stations!"_


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Outwardly there was nothing but chaos.

Cannons shook, booming, spitting flame. Back and forth the two ships fired at each other, turning the air black with a haze of soot. Wood cracked as cannonballs struck home. Shouts and yells mingled in the air.

It was harder for the pirates. Their vessel was smaller, and they had to man their cannons. The Smiling Man had no such qualms. Link could see him conducting matters with a weave of his hand. He could use magic to obliterate them, Link realised, but he also knew his vain enemy wanted to confront him face-to-face.

Outward chaos...

Link felt the rapid thud of his heart, heard Tetra scream out orders as she stood atop a tied-down crate. Fear, adrenaline - he felt it all, but this time, instead of detaching, he simply didn't allow himself to be swept away by it. Outward chaos, yes. Inwardly, though, there was pure stillness -

Which was almost shattered as a cannonball tore through the air his way. Link's eyes widened in a split-second, then he dived into a roll, wincing reflexively as his back protested. The iron projectile smashed into the deck, spewing splinters up into the air.

" _My ship!_ " cried Tetra.

Link flipped up from his roll, brought his hookshot up to bear, and fired. The spike hit the offending cannon with a loud clang, and knocked the barrel askew.

The damage had been done, though. The pirate ship began to list away from the galleon.

"Fix that hole, Mako!" Tetra snapped.

"Aye, aye, Miss Tetra," the diminutive pirate replied, pushing up his eyeglasses before he scarpered along to inspect the damage.

Sailcloth tore and ropes snapped as another cannonball hit home. Metal _pinged._ The pirate captain yelled in frustration. She hopped off the crate, head low to avoid getting hit by a stray shot, and ran to meet Link. "What's your plan?" she gasped. "You have a plan, right? Tell me your plan."

Link took in her fear-laden expression. "You're scared about the ship. You love this ship. I can tell."

"I love _me_ more," she countered. "What is the plan?"

The pirate ship shook as one of its cannon's roared into life. A whistling cannonball followed.

Link looked over at the other vessel, his eyes tracking the flight-path of the spinning projectile. "I need to get to that galleon," he replied, rubbing his sore back.

Tetra stared. "That's a terrible plan," she said. "Think of another one."

"They want me," he said. "They'll leave you alone once I'm gone."

 _I hope._

" _Who_ want you?" the pirate girl asked. Her voice was drowned out for a moment by another deafening blast."Who are they? They don't even have a crew - how are they firing their guns? And what's so special about your friend?"

Her eyes scrunched up as she strained to look over at the enemy ship, but had to duck quickly as another cannonball hurtled in. This one shattered the pirate ship's side railing before splashing harmlessly into the ocean.

Tetra gaped at the damage. "Fine. Go. I need to get the ship fixed up. Then I'm going to go somewhere quiet like Outset for a week. Nothing ever happens there." She turned to him, grabbing onto the rigging as her men fired back at the galleon. "Nice knowing you, slick."

Link gave her a quick nod. "Thanks. He paused. "Sooo..."

She tilted her neck. "So...?"

"Any tips on how I can get over there?"

"Ugh." Tetra shook her head. "I told you it was a terrible plan. Get over to the bow and be ready. Leave the rest to me."

She flinched as another cannonball crashed into her ship's rigging. The air filled with woodchips.

"Miss Tetra!" cried Niko, his eyes stretched wide in panic.

"I _know,_ " she replied as she brushed a blonde lock out of her eye. " _Go,_ slick!"

Link sprinted toward the ship's bow. He heard the whistle of another cannonball coming their way. He also heard Tetra bark out another order.

"Senza!" she cried. "Ram that galleon!"

Link caught up to the helmsman just in time to see the confusion flicker over the pirate's face.

"Miss Tetra...?" he said, doubt needling his voice.

" _That's an order_!" she bellowed.

With a shake of his head, Senza's large arms began to work the wheel, sending it into a spin. "Aye, aye," he said in a soft voice.

Link stood waiting for his chance to jump. He heard the whirr of the wheel, felt seawater sprinkle his face. The whole vessel jerked violently as another cannonball hit one of the lower decks. He could see the Smiling Man now on the galleon's deck, the Zora face he wore stretched in that hateful grin.

 _He's waiting for me._

Better not disappoint, then. Link reached his inward stillness again as the battle raged around him. He acknowledged his anxious fear but wouldn't allow that to tell him when to act.

The Smiling Man's voice came into earshot. "Ha!" he said as usual. "Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

As soon as the gap closed, Link leapt. His coat billowed from the cold, sea air. He heard Tetra suddenly scream at Senza to abort. The Smiling Man didn't seem to want a collision, either. The galleon veered to starboard just as the pirate ship did the same to port.

Link landed. The Smiling Man stood there, unmoving. Zelda was slumped at his feet, her eyes closed. Link felt his heart catch at the sight of her. He strode up to the Smiling Man, his only hand curling into a fist, then cocked back his arm -

And ducked as Behemoth lunged in at him.

"Come here, fly," the big man growled. "I've waited too long for this."

Behemoth swung again, and again Link weaved out of the way, then rode the momentum of the move to swing his leg up to crack the former gamer's jaw with his boot.

It was like kicking steel. Link bit back a yell as pain exploded in his foot and ran up his leg. It did the job, though. Behemoth staggered back, reeling.

 _The training worked. Don't have to be bigger to pack more power._

The galleon creaked. A sea breeze swept over the deck. Link marched across the slick, wooden floor toward the Smiling Man again - and a flicker of movement caught his eye.

Behemoth rammed into him, forcing all the air out of his lungs in one painful gasp and then flinging him into the ship's wooden railing. Link snarled in pain as his bruised spine reacted with a jolt.

"Can you swim, little fly?" Behemoth said in voice thick with self-satisfaction. He pushed one thick arm into Link's throat. "Can you...?"

Link saw the world spin in his eyes. He began to topple backward over the railing. He struggled for breath as the big man drove harder into his neck. His spine reacted again, first spasming in pain, then stiffening.

The rest of him reacted as well. He didn't need style, grace or technique. He didn't need to be bigger.

He just needed to win.

Link thrust his mangled left hand into Behemoth's eye, ignoring the sharp pain that bolted up his arm as a result. As Behemoth first hissed, then yelled, Link focussed all his energy into his leg, then thrust a knee into his opponent's groin. Behemoth collapsed to the floor, writhing on the wet deck as his eyes bulged and watered.

Link rolled off the railing, then in one fluid motion, brought a boot down onto Behemoth's face. The fallen gamer gurgled. It felt strangely satisfying.

"Ha," said the Smiling Man. "Ha-ha-ha-ha."

Breathing heavily, Link turned to him now. Pain racked his entire body. He felt it, knew it, then found the stillness within. In his line of sight, he saw Tetra's ship slowly moving away.

 _Good. Outstanding._

"Stop it," the Smiling Man said. "Both of you."

Link glanced down at Behemoth gasping at his feet, then slowly back up at the real enemy.

"The Smiling Man," he said.

"I hate that name," the undead Ralis shot back. "I hate it. It's all because of _her._ " He nudged the princess with his boot.

Link's mouth went dry. "What have you done to her?"

"Ha. Ha-ha-ha-ha!" the Smiling Man retorted. "I told her the truth about the Breach of Black Glass."

Link blinked. "Everything?"

"Well. Except how to close it, that is. Ha-ha!"

Link stepped closer - but the Smiling Man held up a finger in warning.

"Let me finish, Silver Mask," he said. "Now, as you'd expect, she didn't take too well to my little revelations. Ha-ha! So I had to...sedate her, shall we say. With a little spell of my own."

Link's jaw clenched. "What. Have. You. Done?"

The Smiling Man slowly pointed up. Link glanced at the sky. It was darkening, the sun suddenly blotted out by a swirl of angry, dark clouds. The waves of the sea became choppy. There was a slight tremor affecting the whole world.

"I've filled her dreams," the undead Zora said. "Filled them with memories of every pain that's ever cut her, every mistake she's agonised over. Ever fear never realised."

A spider web of cracks radiated out over the sky as though it were a pane of glass. Link stared, half in horror, half in awe.

"She even has a fear involving you," the Smiling Man said in a soft voice. "About losing you. Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Link's heart lurched.

 _Zelda. I love you._

The entire world shook. Steam hissed as the ocean began to froth and boil.

"What's happening?" breathed Link.

"The breach is about to break," said the Smiling Man. "All that bad stuff swirling about in her head? It's going to crack it. Crack the breach. In about...ooh...fifty-nine seconds. Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Link flinched. His healthy hand dropped to his crossbow.

The Smiling Man noticed. "That's it," he said softly. "You know what you have to do. Kill this Zora vessel and the spell will break. Forty-six seconds."

Link's eyes widened. Zelda's head had dropped back. Black light spilled from her open mouth. The wind began to howl. The wooden planks of the galleon's deck trembled. Ropes snapped. The masts collapsed, toppling into the sea, taking the sails with them.

"What's the catch?" Link shouted.

"No catch," the possessed Ralis replied. "Thirty-two seconds."

Link swung his crossbow up -

"Ha." The Smiling Man snapped his fingers. "Home."

The world shifted. One second, they were on the ship, floating on an increasingly violent sea, the next they were in a cave, cold and frosty, with icicles hanging from the ceiling. Water dripped somewhere nearby, the echo of its descent unnaturally loud.

A chorus of steel signified the drawing of swords. Link glanced to the side - a group of richly-dressed Zora now faced them, blades in hand, expressions vicious. In the centre stood a tall Zora woman adorned with a small crown and enwrapped in a flowing dress. She stepped forward, her face thin and regal.

"Ralis...?" she said, her voice reverberating in the small cavern. "Princess Zelda...? How did you get here...? What's happened to you, Ralis...?" Her eyes swung down to the still prone Behemoth then up to Link. "What is going on?"

"Mother!" the Smiling Man said in Prince Ralis's voice. "So good to see you again! Just you wait, I will explain everything." His voice dropped, his attention on Link. "Fourteen seconds. You know - ha! - they'll tear you apart if you try anything."

Link looked at Zelda. Her skin was pale. Her body seemed to be wasting away before his eyes. He looked back up at the Smiling Man.

"What do you choose, _hero?_ "

"Ralis...?" the Zora queen said again. Her face creased in confusion.

 _Stillness._

Link pulled the trigger.

The crossbow bolt hit the Zora prince square between the eyes, snapping his neck back. The corpse dropped to the ground with a thud. For the second time, Prince Ralis died.

A stunned silence followed. Zelda's eyes fluttered open.

And then the Zora queen screamed and chaos erupted.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Princess Zelda sat in a plush velvet chair within the Queen's Chamber, her hands folded in her lap. After all she'd been through she still remembered royal etiquette. The guest in a foreign court had to be the very paragon of politeness. It projected respect. Especially now with one of her subjects accused of murdering the prince here in Zora's Domain.

Or beneath the Domain, to be exact. They were inside a network of caves that the Zora had carved out from translucent rocky walls filled with hot, bubbling water. Different colours shone through the rock and a pleasant warmth radiated outward. At any other time it would have been mesmerising. Not today, though.

Zelda's eyes followed Queen Rutela as she slowly paced around the room. The Zora's matriarch wore a grief-stricken expression. Tears had cut a path down her face.

"What am I to do?" the queen said in a blank, hushed voice. "Why is my Ralis gone?"

The princess suppressed a sigh. Zelda knew all about handling delicate political situations. That's what she'd been brought up to do, after all. But she'd never been in a situation like this.

Rutela was in no state to listen to reason. The truth about Ralis – that he had really died when trying to assault Zelda and had since been possessed by the Smiling Man - would hardly go down well. Zelda was at a loss as to what to do.

The Zora wouldn't even let her see Link. She'd awoken from a hellish nightmare to see the queen's Royal Guard pummel Link with punches and kicks, only coming to a halt when Rutela had shouted 'Stop!' in a voice that had cracked the air.

The queen had said that they – the Zora - weren't savages. Link was to be imprisoned before a trial that she herself would preside over. A trial that was to take place within the hour.

Zelda didn't exactly know why Link had decided to attack the possessed Ralis in front of the Zora, but she suspected that doing so had brought her out of her magic-induced slumber.

Fear spiked her heart.

 _The Breach of Black Glass. It's within me._

 _It_ _ **is**_ _me._

It was like those legends of old, the ones she'd spoken of to Link after he'd kidnapped her – stories of an ancestor of hers that had to be killed in the hope that the Cycle would be broken, and the one about a young girl whose blood could open a portal to the Sacred Realm.

The princess managed a wry thought. _Why is it that men aren't inflicted with this?_

True, the information had come from her enemy, but she knew it to be the truth. She had felt the darkness inside when the Smiling Man had inflicted those nightmares on her. A terrible force bubbled within her.

 _That's why my magic's gone. That's why I see dark light from my hands._

Instead of feeling despair, though, Princess Zelda felt a surge of resolve. All this meant was that it was all in her hands now. There must be a way for her to close the breach. Her fear melted as her determination grew.

She realised, too, that she didn't actually need Link anymore. He was never meant to be the one to close the breach. She could just leave him here.

 _Be free_ , her thoughts whispered in her father's voice. _Save your people instead. It is your duty._

Zelda hesitated. She could do that. She could leave him.

 _But I don't want to._

Zelda knew Link was…attached to her. The kiss, literally so long ago now, had proven that. She didn't know what exactly she'd done to deserve his affection. She didn't know, either, if his feelings were just a passing fancy that would grow cold like old ash over time.

 _And what about my feelings?_ she thought. _I need to see him._

She opened her mouth to make that exact point when Queen Rutela finally spoke again.

"He was such a quiet boy," she said in a gentle voice. The queen stared at a wall, the myriad colours from the transparent rock reflecting on her sad face, and clasped her hands behind her back. "Gentle and soft."

Zelda cringed. That wouldn't exactly be how she'd describe Ralis, but she didn't have the heart to contradict Rutela.

"He rose so high in the world." A faint smile crossed the Zora matriarch's lips as she turned to the princess. "Marrying you. He said you were so gentle and encouraging on your wedding night."

Zelda's eye twitched. "What?" she gasped. Her cheeks flushed hot.

"Oh, no need to be coy, dear," Rutela replied. "We Zora aren't bound by the social mores you Hylians are. We share everything. I know Ralis took your maidenhead. He was so proud."

Zelda dug her fingernails into both armrests. Her breath shortened.

Bitterness flooded Queen Rutela's voice. "And now he's gone. Killed by a slave."

Zelda blinked. "A...slave…?"

"The one-handed murderer has the ancient mark of a slave on him. Even today, there are some outlying lands that maintain the practice."

Zelda hadn't known that. About slavery still existing in her Hyrule, that is. Link having the mark of one…

 _What's going on? And him being one-handed…what have I missed?_

She loathed diplomatic talks like this, where the other party had information that she didn't. Zelda hated being at a disadvantage.

"Tell me, princess," said the queen. "How did you and Ralis find yourselves back here in the Domain? And why were you in the company of that hateful slave and his brute of a companion…?"

Zelda was at a loss. What exactly could she say…?

"Uh," she said, her fidgeting hands matching her fumbling voice. "We were…Your Majesty, you recall the reasons for our alliance…?"

The queen nodded. "An external threat that threatened all of Hyrule."

Zelda hadn't told her all the details, certainly not about the Breach of Black Glass or the full extent of the Smiling Man's powers. She realised now that that had been a mistake. "Well. Ralis…and I were…searching for…ah…information about that threat. And…I needed to teleport us. We ended up here."

The queen's face remained expressionless. "Information? Why? It's obvious what the threat is. My scouts have told me the surface world is in chaos. Chaos! In fact, I was expecting you to call on me earlier to pool our resources. I actually sent out messengers this very morning to contact you at your castle."

"Chaos…"

Zelda was back home, in her Hyrule. It had only just really hit her now. Captain Rusl. Sahasrahla. What damage had the breach caused in her absence…?

 _What damage have_ _ **I**_ _caused?_

"And the slave?" said the queen. "What of him?"

"What's going to happen to him?" Zelda had blurted the words out, losing her carefully-held composure for a moment. So much for diplomatic etiquette.

Rutela frowned. "What does it matter?" she said, her voice taking on a sharp, harsh edge. "The trial is just to show we are not uncivilised brutes who don't follow due process. We all saw what happened. You're a witness. My guards are witness. _I_ am a witness."

Zelda felt her every muscle tighten. "What do you mean..?"

"The slave killed my son," said Queen Rutela. "His only reward will be death."

* * *

Link watched a rat scurry across the floor of the dimly-lit cell, its pink feet pattering as it left a trail on the encrusted dirt. His chains clinked. They'd only clamped his right wrist. His left remained free.

Lanterns burned from outside the bars, bleeding wan light into the small chamber. Two Zora guards were stationed out there, both standing stiff as they faced the cell and glared hard at Link.

He didn't blame them. In their eyes, he'd killed their prince. Link didn't challenge the assertion. If he'd told them that he'd actually saved all the worlds in existence by shooting an undead Prince Ralis they'd think him insane.

Link returned their attention with a level, expressionless gaze. He took in their hatred and used it to find the stillness within. That meant having enough faith to not give in to his mind's whispers urging him to defend himself, to tell the Zora the truth so that their self-righteous anger would be wiped clean off of their faces.

 _Stillness._

Behemoth was in the cell with him, too. The big man still hadn't awoken ever since Link had stomped his face in, literally, another time and place. That was strange. It should be worth investigating.

 _If I cared, that is._

Link rested his head back against the wall. The Smiling Man had outfoxed Zelda and himself at every turn. He didn't believe their foe was dead, either. The Smiling Man had vacated Prince Ralis's body just in time for Link to be blamed for the Zora's murder.

Link had honed his strength, perfected his fighting technique and knew the proper form in using a crossbow. Now he had to sharpen his mind. Link had to somehow outsmart his powerful enemy.

 _I wish Illy was here. She'd have some ideas._

He had to get out of here first. The Zora had taken his mask, crossbow and hookshot. Now was a good time to train the mind.

A flicker of movement up ahead made Link look up. One of the guards was bent at the neck, listening to a newly arrived messenger who was whispering in his ear. When the guard rose back up he had a vicious grin plastered on his grey-skinned face.

"Time for the trial, slave," he said. "Let's get you out of there."

This time they manacled both of Link's wrists before they made way, leaving Behemoth behind in the locked cell. The guards prodded and pushed him as hard as they thought they could get away with. Link didn't flinch.

They reached a pair of large, oak doors set in a rock wall lined with glowing sapphire light. There was a muffled roar from beyond the entrance.

The Zora guards rapped on the wood. With a slow, long creak, the doors opened. Link was met with a wall of noise that soon soured into a chorus of boos and curses when the Zora within set their eyes on him.

The two guards paraded Link down a narrow pathway. Jeering Zora lined either side. Large, oval eyes were filled with hate and rage. At the head of the path sat the queen, stiff and unmoving. Princess Zelda was standing next to her, face ashen. She and Link exchanged lingering gazes.

"Slave scum," one of the Zora spat.

"Murderer!" screamed another.

The Zora crowd continued to hurl insults at Link as he moved, head bowed. Some threw stones that caught his cheek. Link didn't react. He just kept on walking.

Finally he came to a stop in front of the Zora queen's chair. Link looked up. Fury smouldered on the Zora matriarch's face. The crowd quietened down. An expectant silence followed.

"You killed my son," she said, her voice trembling. "My beautiful son."

An angry murmur rippled through the assembled Zora.

"This trial will be short," the queen continued. "I won't even ask you how you plead. I will ask you _why_ , though. Why did a lowborn slave like you murder the Prince of the Zora?"

Link could see that Zelda was desperately trying to get his attention. He didn't look her way. The Zora may have missed their first glance, but if he looked at her now it would be obvious that the two of them knew each other.

Instead, Link began to look around, his eyes searching for any flaws in the room, any ways he could esca-

"I asked you a question!"

The queen's voice hissed in a quiet whisper that sounded too loud in the now silent chamber. Link looked at her and said nothing.

Link maintained his inner stillness. It was hard. Especially as fear prickled his veins. If he thought too hard about his predicament his heart would be submerged. Link swallowed.

"Your Majesty."

All eyes turned to face Princess Zelda. She had already begun to address the Zora queen.

"Your Majesty," she breathed. "I am deeply, truly sorry for your loss. But things here are not as they seem. I should have spoken earlier but I didn't want to cause you any further hurt."

The queen regarded her, confused. "What are you talking about, child?"

"Link didn't kill the prince."

"Link…?"

"He's…That's his name." Zelda gestured toward him. "He's a friend. Look. Let us go back to your chamber. I'll tell you everything."

The Zora queen rose to her feet. Princess Zelda stared at her, eyes filled with hope. The queen's dark eyes glittered.

"Poor child," she said softly. "You've clearly gone out of your senses with grief."

Zelda's jaw dropped. The queen went on. "It's quite alright." She placed a gentle hand on the princess's shoulder. "I understand. I was the same when I lost my husband."

"Trial by combat."

Now all attention turned to Link.

"What did you say, slave?" asked the queen.

Link stood his ground as all eyes in the room bore into him. _Stillness._

"I'm not a slave."

The Zora queen snorted. "No…? You merely wear that mark for decoration…?"

"Your Majesty," Zelda cut in. "You're not thinking straight. If I could just expl-"

"Do not presume to dictate to me here in front of my own people, child." The queen glared at Zelda. "You may be the sovereign of Hyrule but _I_ rule here." She turned to Link. "What were you saying…?"

"Trial by combat," he repeated. "If I win, I go free."

The Zora queen's mouth curled up in a cold smile. "I do not know from what dark land you hail, slave, but here in the Domain we do not indulge in such petty savagery. We are a noble race. We only know the good."

Zelda cut in again. "Ralis died a long time ago. A sorcerer possessed his body. Link was trying to expel that sorcerer."

Silence fell, save for a few nervous laughs from the crowd. The Zora queen stepped toward Zelda. "I thought you were different," she said. "For decades your people have mocked mine. And now, in my own home after the death of my only son, you insult me with a tale such as this?" Her chest heaved, but her low voice remained under icy control. "If it weren't for the repercussions – no, if it wasn't for the fact that Ralis doted over you so, I would have your head, Princess Zelda."

"I didn't intend -"

"Enough," said the queen. "My people are not as forgiving as I, princess. What you have said will have wounded their pride. And I am sure you do not want an incident between our two races so soon after our alliance."

Zelda shook her head.

The queen's voice rose. "Enough of this trial." Her eyes dropped to Link. "You are guilty, slave, that is clear."

The crowd roared their approval. Link ignored them.

"The sorrow of the Zora people must be assuaged," said the queen. "But in honour of the union between us and the Hylians, and in order to also give my daughter-in-law a chance to ease her grief, I have come to a verdict."

The Zora queen looked from the princess to her assembled people. "I sentence the slave to death at dawn," she said. "And Princess Zelda shall be his executioner."


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

Link was back in his cell, and he wasn't alone.

The two Zora guards encircled him after forcing him down on his knees. He'd nicknamed one Tall and the other Short for all the obvious reasons. There were others watching from outside. Link didn't wilt under their combined glare. He did brace himself, though.

Tall lashed out with a kick to the ribs. Link doubled over, wheezing. The watching guards roared in approval, clanging sword hilts against the steel bars. When Link had steadied himself, Short cracked a fist into the side of his face, jerking his head to one side. He felt his cheek begin to swell. The other guards hollered.

"Make the slave bleed!" one cried. Tall grinned and looked up at that, and gave the man an encouraging nod.

Fatigue weighed down on Link as well. It was deep into the night, and the two Zora hadn't let him get any sleep.

"Look at you," Tall spat as he cast a contemptuous gaze down at Link. "You wanted to make a name for yourself, didn't you, slave? By murdering the prince?" He snorted. "I have news for you. You're nothing. Nothing special at all." The guard punctuated this with another punch.

Link reeled. His lip grew fat with blood. Through a haze of pain, he considered the Zora man's words. Nothing wrong with not feeling special. It was freedom, so long as it wasn't married with an undermining sense of self-pity. It meant not having to pretend to win the approval of others.

 _You're only special if others think you are,_ thought Link. _Not that these two have any clue._

"The stench in this place," Tall went on, kicking a rat as it ventured too close. It scurried away, squeaking in protest. "What do you say, boys? Worse than a sewer in here, right?"

The watching Zora guards hooted in agreement.

Tall looked down at Link again. "How do you like the stink of your own filth, slave?"

This time it was Link's turn to snort. "Like yours smell any better," he said. "Not so special yourself, are you?"

The guard yanked back Link's hair. Metal clinked as Link's chains responded to the sudden movement.

"I am a Zora," Tall growled. "That automatically makes me better than you."

Link had a fleeting memory of Captain Tetra and the whip of her tongue whenever she heard something ridiculous. "You're an idiot," he said.

That earned Link both a punch to the face from Tall and a kick to the stomach from Short. A fog of pain descended. Hacking coughs rose from his throat. Drops of water fell from the ceiling, stinging the bruises on his face. When his head had stopped ringing, Link took in a sharp gasp. Enough of this. He had a job to do.

"I need…" he croaked. "I need…to see…Princess Zelda. Alone."

It was time. Link had to close the Breach of Black Glass. He had to take all the love he had cocooned in his heart for Zelda and wrap it around her like a warm cloak. She had to understand. She had to know the depth of his feeling so that the breach would seal.

He needed to see her.

The guards laughed. "You want to see your own executioner?" said Short, giving his companion a nudge. "Can we watch while you beg for mercy?"

Tall found this hilarious. His face took on a lecherous grin. "Boys, what do you think?" he said, directing his comment to the guards watching from outside the cell. "I'd actually prefer to see _her_ beg, wouldn't you? On her knees, in front of m-"

Link lashed out with a quick headbutt to Tall's groin. A gargled scream followed accompanied by a collective groan from the watching guards. Short moved fast, grabbing Link's hair and slamming his face into the hard floor. The world spun in Link's eyes. The hot, metallic taste of blood swirled around his mouth.

 _They're right,_ he thought idly. _It does smell in here._

" _Let me kill him!"_ screamed Tall through gasping breaths. " _He struck me!"_

"No!" Short's voice rang out in the cell. It sounded hollow, with a metallic edge. "The queen said at dawn. Our heads would be for the chop next if we ended him now. Come on," he barked. "Let's go. The slave'll get his in the morning."

They made their way out, Short leading the way, Tall moving at a more tender pace, groaning as he dragged his feet. Muttered curses flew from under his breath.

"Watch him," said Short to the other guards. One of them nodded in reply.

The pain had receded to a throb now. Link took in a deep breath and waited.

There was nothing else he could do.

* * *

Queen Rutela's breath steamed out from her lips in the cold, dark room. Prince Ralis lay on a slab before her, a single lantern illuminating his face. The rest of the chamber was a void of blackness.

One of her physicians, eyes squinted, slowly examined the body.

Sadness tugged the corners of the queen's mouth down.

 _My darling son._

She touched his face. It was cold. Ice cold.

Rutela had had reservations about his union with the Hylian princess, reservations that she'd swept aside. The opportunity to unite their two races had been too great to ignore. That, and she'd had a distant respect for the Hylian girl, ruling the land in absence of a father and consort. Rutela could identify with that. She herself had taken the reins of power in Zora's Domain after Ralis's father had passed on.

All in all, Zelda had been a perfect match for her son.

 _No. That's not the real reason._

It was the lowborn Zora wench that Ralis had taken a fancy to. Rutela couldn't even remember the girl's name. All that mattered was that her bloodline was not going to be corrupted by Ralis marrying that harlot.

She'd planned to unite Ralis with one of the noble houses of the Zora – but Princess Zelda presenting herself for marriage was just too good to be true. Her blood would mix with the most powerful family in all Hyrule.

 _Not now it won't._

Tears blurred her eyes as Rutela looked down at her son and gently stroked his cold face. The funeral would be in the afternoon. After the slave's execution.

The queen thought back to the girl that Ralis had been besotted with. Maybe he would have lived if she'd allowed him to have his way…

Rutela broke away from the thoughts as she noticed the deep frown on the physician's face.

"What is it?" she said, withdrawing her hand. "What is wrong?"

"These wounds," the Zora physician said as he tapped his chin in thought. "They are not consistent with how you told me he died."

Rutela stiffened. Her eyes narrowed. "Are you saying I was mistaken?" she said. "I saw it happen. He was shot in the face by the slave's crossbow."

"Well, yes," the physician conceded. "That wound is certainly there. But so is the one in the back of his head."

"Back of his head?"

"Ah. Yes."

The queen could tell he was trying to be polite. No need for her to know all the details, she imagined.

"Go on," she prodded.

"I didn't notice it earlier. The head wound."

The queen glanced down at Ralis. He was face-up on the slab. She had no desire to turn his head to find what the physician had discovered. "He was wearing a hood."

"Indeed," the physician said. "But that's not all. The level of decay here..." He shook his head, befuddled. "Your Majesty, my apologies for being so blunt, but this is not the… _body_ of a man who has only been dead for a day."

Rutela felt a chill run down both her arms. Zelda's fanciful tale of a sorcerer possessing Ralis's already dead body – or so the princess said – flitted into her mind.

"Are you certain?" the queen asked.

The physician nodded.

 _Was Zelda telling the truth…?_

And if she was, how could Rutela and the Zora get the revenge they craved…? This sorcerer wasn't here now that was for certain.

 _No. Someone has to die to avenge Ralis's death, and die today._

The Zora could not be seen to dither in people demanded it.

 _I demand it._

"Continue with your preparations for the funeral," said Rutela.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"And these findings of yours."

The physician looked up. "Yes?"

"You are not to divulge them to anybody. Understand?"

The doctor bowed his head in obedience. "Of course, Your Majesty."

Rutela turned and strode out of the morgue.

* * *

 _This is the worst idea I have ever had._

Princess Zelda wrapped her cloak tighter around herself as she strode into the Zora dungeons. She wasn't here to see Link. She _wished_ she could, but though Queen Rutela had given her freedom of the Domain, the sole exception was Link's prison. The queen had also let slip that Behemoth was in his own cell – and with no guards.

That was where Zelda was headed.

 _Terrible, terrible idea. So much for wisdom._

She could say the same about the Zora, too. They were so obsessed with Link that they didn't even consider Behemoth to be that much of a threat.

That was the type of information that Zelda could use to her advantage.

Her eyes felt heavy. It would be dawn soon and she'd spent the night fitfully awake as she tried to find a way out of her predicament. At last she'd settled on this desperate scheme.

Zelda slowed as she approached a fork in the path. To the left, she saw a group of rowdy Zora guards peering into one particular cell. Her heart skipped.

 _Link._

With a quiet sigh, she took the right-hand path in a hurry, and then another left turn. There was a glowing lantern set in front of one particular cell. Breathless, the princess stopped in front of that one and looked inside.

Behemoth sat there, awake and glowering. He glanced up.

"What do _you_ want?" he growled.

Zelda glanced to the left and right, checking.

No one was around.

"You can get out of here," she said. "Can't you?"

He said nothing in reply.

Zelda pressed on. "You have the strength to break these bars." She paused a moment, then asked, "So what's stopping you?"

Behemoth grinned. "Heard there was some entertainment due at dawn," he said. "Wouldn't want to miss it." His voice darkened. "I answered your question. Now answer mine. What do you want?"

"A distraction," she replied softly. "So that we can escape. All of us."

Behemoth stared at her for a long moment, then threw back his head and laughed. It echoed around the small chamber.

"Keep quiet!" she hissed. Zelda clutched the steel bars. The cold seeped into her skin. There was no heated translucent rock here.

"You want my help?" he said in between spluttering laughs. " _My_ help?"

"I just want a distraction," said Zelda. "And no trace that it was my idea. _And_ none of the Zora are to be hurt."

Bad enough that she was doing this, Zelda didn't need an already sensitive situation to go critical with more Zora deaths.

 _Or anyone's death,_ she chided herself. Sometimes she forgot how cold she sounded when thinking in just political terms.

"That's a long list, sweetheart." Behemoth folded his arms. "What's in it for me?"

"I'll…" she breathed in deep to steady herself. "I'll give you a Royal Pardon. We're back in our Hyrule now. I have power here."

Behemoth's mouth curled up. "You don't seem very powerful at the moment, lady."

 _True. Both politically and magically._

If she had her magic, none of this would even be necessary.

"Trust me," she said.

"No," he countered.

Desperation flooded Zelda's voice. "What do you want, then?" she said. "How can I convince you to help us?"

 _And how do I even trust him?_

Behemoth leaned forward. "I want a rematch with the boy," he said. "Link. In an arena. A proper Game match."

Zelda stared at him. If what Rutela had told her was even half-true, then there wouldn't be much of an audience for a Great Game in the world above. And she wouldn't subject Link to this brute even if there was.

But Behemoth didn't know that.

"Done," she lied.

Her heart felt sick as she watched another slow grin stretch over the big man's lips.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Your Highness," he said, leaning back. "Now tell me the plan."


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

They marched up a winding marble-paved staircase lit by hanging lanterns that led to the open air above. Princess Zelda was at the rear of the entourage with Queen Rutela and the other Zora. Link was up ahead, head bowed, wrists manacled, and closely guarded by two armed Zora men. Keys jangled from the belt of the taller of the pair. The only other sound was the gentle _clink_ of Link's chains in sync with every step he made.

Zelda's eyes took him in. It was first time she'd really seen him since finding herself in the Domain. A tattered purple coat wrapped around Link's grime-coated clothes. Her gaze dropped to his left wrist, her heart twisting at the sight of the wrapped-up stump there. She flicked her eyes up and spotted the mark - the slave mark, she guessed - on his neck.

 _Does it hurt him?_ she thought. _Is he even concerned? Why isn't he complaining?_

They reached the top of the stairs. A stone slab lined with crimson light barred the way out. Zelda was reminded of the underground hideout that they'd visited in the distant past, the one where the Smiling Man had tricked them into thinking they had found the Breach of Black Glass.

Stone groaned as one of the guards pushed aside the slab. Weak, scarlet light flooded in.

Zelda frowned. _Something is not right._

All her thoughts melted away as they emerged out into the surface world. Even the Zora were taken aback. Some whimpered in fear.

The world had changed. They were in a barren, sandy valley surrounded by tall mountains – mountains now standing at odd angles, some split in two, some with their tips shorn clean away.

A murmur spread across the assembled Zora with a hushed whisper of "The sky…"

Instead of a faint glow heralding the rising of the sun, dawn's early light was a swirling, burnt-orange bruise split across the sky as though someone had cracked a giant egg in the heavens. Stars spun above them so fast that Zelda had to look away or else she'd be overcome by dizziness.

"Where's the river?" another Zora gasped.

Zelda looked toward a deep gouge in the land where the Zora River should have flowed. It was completely dry now with not even a trace of damp remaining.

More murmurs followed. Fearful ones.

Ghostly voices hung on the breeze, laughing, crying, muttering in different tongues, some intelligible, some not. Zelda realised what they were - distant echoes of a myriad worlds spilling into Hyrule. She pressed a hand to her chest. Fear pricked her spine, her eyes watering.

 _The breach…_

The Zora were getting more agitated now. Clearly they hadn't realised the true nature of the situation. Zelda turned, seeking out Queen Rutela.

 _She has to end this now!_

Zelda's heart sank when her eyes finally found the Zora matriarch. Rutela's face was set with rigid determination. She didn't even seem to be aware of what was happening to Hyrule all around her. That, or she simply didn't' care.

"Silence," the queen snapped. "All of you."

The fretful whispers died away. Rutela spoke on. "Get the prisoner ready. And bring an axe for the princess."

As the Zora moved into action in response to their monarch's commands, Zelda noticed something on one of the misshapen mountains nearby. She squinted. A tall, black building with needle-thin towers and Keese fluttering around each tip hung from the mountain's edge.

 _That's where it all ends._

Zelda didn't know where that thought had come from, but felt certain it was the truth. She pulled her gaze away and strode purposefully up to the queen.

"Your Majesty," she said, steel flooding into her voice. " _Rutela._ "

That made the Zora woman look up.

Zelda went on. "Can't you see we have no time for this?" she spat. "Link. Let him go. I'm telling you, on my honour and the honour of my people, that he is not responsible for what happened to Ralis."

There was a slight flicker in the queen's eyes. Doubt…?

It vanished in a flash as Rutela's iron-clad resolve returned. "The world will now see what happens if anyone dares strike down my blood."

"The world doesn't care!" Zelda hissed. Her hands balled into fists in frustration. "The world is _dying_!"

"I want to speak to the princess."

Link's voice made both women turn in his direction. He stood there, wrists bound, as the Zora worked around him, setting up a wooden block lined with dark stains at his feet and a basket nearby. Zelda felt sick.

" _You_ want?" Rutela said, her voice icy. She took a step toward him. "You have no say in this matter, slave."

An angry roar made all them spin around. Behemoth burst out from the staircase, a bent steel bar – from his cell, clearly – in his fist. He swung it around, smashing it into the nearest Zora it met, then, changing angle, he pierced it through another Zora's chest.

" _Stop him!_ " Rutela screamed. " _Bring him down!"_

"No…" Zelda gasped, watching in horror as Behemoth continued to plough through the onrushing Zora. Blood seeped into the sand, cast darker by the reddened sky pulsing overhead. _I'm such a fool! I shouldn't have trusted him. Why did I trust him?_

Zelda knew what she had to do. She spun on one heel, her eyes searching in amongst the screaming chaos. The Zora pushed and jolted her, oblivious to her presence as they tried to flee the Behemoth.

Her resolve hardened. She'd spotted her target. The princess sprinted through the crowd toward the tall Zora guard she'd seen earlier – he was busy bellowing orders, trying to calm the people down and ready them for action – and as she neared, she slowed, stooped and swiped the keys from his belt.

He didn't even notice.

Satisfied, Princess Zelda looked up. _Time to free Link._

* * *

The Zora were ignoring him now, their attention focussed on Behemoth and his blood-soaked rampage. Link had eyes on him as well – he spied his mask, crossbow and hookshot dangling from the big gamer's belt.

 _I have to get over there._

And then he gasped as suddenly she was there – Zelda was standing in front of him, her face lined with worry as she worked a key into his manacles.

"Princess…" he breathed. His heart thudded.

She didn't look up. "You need to help them," she said.

The manacles fell away, hitting the soft ground with a dull thud.

"Zelda," he said, his eyes fixed on her face, his heart now feeling a slight tremor. He wanted to reach out, envelop her in his arms. "I need to tell you something."

"Now is not the time," the princess replied, her voice soft. A surprise – anyone else would have received the gift of her glare, and a hard edge to her voice to boot. She finally raised her eyes to his. "Help them. I'll be waiting."

Her lips brushed lightly against his, and then she was gone, lost in the crowd. Link didn't have time to linger on the moment. He burst forward, ducking, weaving and sliding through the still-panicked Zora. His muscles and joints were still stiff from his incarceration, and they made him painfully aware of the fact. Gurgled screams reached his ears, mixing with the eerie, ethereal voices that floated invisibly in the air.

And then he was there. Behemoth was before him, ramming a Zora into the ground headfirst. Not all the Zora had fled. Short and Tall were there, too. Short was bent over in pain, rivulets of blood running down from a gash in his forehead, and Tall was staring at the gamer in shock. His stupor was so deep that he didn't notice Behemoth readying his metal club for a strike.

Link hesitated. These two had been a thorn in his side the entire time he'd been in the Zora dungeon. What did he care if they lived or died...?

He snuffed the thought out.

Behemoth raised his club -

Link took a step, then leapt, landing on Short's bent back and then launched himself instantly again. He swooped into the air, then glided downward and landed a cracking punch to Behemoth's face that jolted his head aside. Sand erupted as Link hit the ground. The big man distracted, Link darted in and took back his crossbow, then kicked up more sand straight into his enemy's eyes.

Behemoth roared and swung blindly with the bent metal bar. Link ducked, hooking his crossbow back onto his belt, then moved in again and swiped his hookshot from the big man's belt.

Breathing heavily, his back beginning to feel the strain of his efforts, Link stepped back and clipped the hookshot back around his waist. Behemoth blinked away the sand. He lunged, and Link dodged, taking back his mask as Behemoth slid by.

The big gamer swung around, his arm drawing back, then sent the steel bar flying. Link froze, ready to dodge - and realised the crude spear wasn't aimed at him. It hurtled across the valley, gleaming as it spun under a red-dyed sky.

Link spun, hookshot up in his right hand. It only took him a fraction of a second to realise the intended target.

 _The Zora queen._

Link took aim and fired. The hookshot's spike hit the makeshift spear in a burst of sparks, knocking it aside. The queen gaped, staring at Link in shock.

"Ha," came a voice behind him. "Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Link's breath caught in his throat. His lowered the hookshot as his back pricked. Slowly, he turned around. A grinning Behemoth stared back at him.

"Like my new body?" the Smiling Man said in Behemoth's voice. "Two birds with one stone, Silver Mask. I needed a new host, and Behemoth was started to use his brain a little too much for my liking."

The other Zora had backed off now. Broken bodies were strewn across the blood-soaked valley. Some of them still groaned. Others lay still, their faces rigid and ashen.

"What do you think of the princess's handiwork?" the Smiling Man said. "Oh, didn't you know? This chaos was all her idea. Ha-ha-ha!"

 _He's done it again,_ Link thought bitterly. _He's outsmarted us again._

Link heard the crunch of boot on sand. It was Princess Zelda, approaching slowly.

"Stop this madness," she said in a soft voice. "Stop it now."

The possessed Behemoth bared his teeth. "Make me."

"When will it end?" Her voice rose. " _When?!_ "

"Princess..." said Link.

Zelda ignored him, and stepped in closer to Behemoth. "Tell me how to close the breach."

"Ha!" said the Smiling Man.

"Tell me now!"

Surprise blossomed over the possessed-Behemoth's face. "Oh, ho ho?" He glanced at Link. "She doesn't yet know?"

Zelda frowned, looking from Behemoth to Link. "Know what...?"

Link swiftly turned the conversation. "If you're so powerful," he said, "why is it you never possess one of us?"

Behemoth's cheek twitched. He said nothing.

"You can't, can you?" said Zelda. A slow smile spread over her lips."Something is stopping you."

The Smiling Man took a step back.

 _Now. Tell her now while he's distracted. It's the wrong place. It's the wrong time. And it doesn't matter. Tell her what she needs to know._

Link felt the emotions surge in his heart. He opened his mouth to speak -

When the possessed Behemoth suddenly swept out his arm to point at something in the distance. "Meet you there, Silver Mask," he said, singling out a dark, tall building on a nearby mountainside.

Behemoth leapt forward and grabbed the princess. "Ha," he said. "Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"No!"

Link brought his crossbow up -

And in a flash of light, both the Smiling Man and Zelda vanished, leaving only a cloud of slowly swirling sand in the air.

 _Teleported._ Link looked toward the dark building. _Up there._

A long breath seeped out of his pursed lips. He felt hollow now. Hollow and tired.

"You..." said a trembling voice. "You saved us. You saved the queen."

Link turned to see Tall looking at him open-mouthed. Short was leaning on his friend's shoulder.

Tall blinked. "Why?"

Link didn't get a chance to answer. The Zora queen approached. The two guards quickly bowed as the she swept past them. She came to a halt in front of Link.

The queen's eyes glittered, her face hard. Link stiffened, waiting.

"Your name," she said, looking up him and down, "is Link?"

He nodded. Other Zora were approaching now. The anger and hate he'd last seen in their eyes was gone now. They looked at him with fresh curiosity. Some even looked grateful. Others dared to hold a sliver of respect in their eyes.

"Tell me, Link," the queen said in a quiet voice. "Tell me what happened to Ralis. What truly happened. Tell me why that hulking brute just disappeared with Princess Zelda. And tell me why Hyrule is broken." She gestured to the sky and the shattered mountains, then paused to take a short breath. "Tell me _everything._ "

 **A/N: Hachin, thanks for pointing that out. Changed it now.**

 **You're all a very quiet audience, I must say! Anyhow, the end is in sight...**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

Link stood at the foot of the mountain, arms crossed, and looked up the winding, dusty path that led to the black citadel where the Smiling Man had taken Princess Zelda. The sky swirled above, the sun blotted out by a red streak across the heavens, the stars bathing Hyrule in fractured light.

"So," said Queen Rutela, "are you certain you do not want any of my men to accompany you?" She stood with a group of armed Zora, their armour clinking softly as they waited.

"Thanks," said Link. "But this is something I need to do on my own."

He was itching to get away, in fact. He'd wasted enough time when the Zora insisted that he bathe in one of their healing springs. They'd given him clean clothes as well – an outfit of a deep, dark royal blue lined with strips from his purple coat. He didn't understand all the fuss. It was like the Zora were wilfully ignoring what was happening to the world.

"Nevertheless," the queen pressed on. "I'll give you five days. And then I'll send my troops in."

As the last of her words left her lips, a sudden tremor overtook the entire land. The queen's eyes widened. Her guards gripped their weapons. And then the shaking subsided.

" _Three_ days," she corrected as the ground settled. "The fortress that you head towards," she continued. "It's a dark place. Haunted by Poes and the like. Watch yourself."

Link nodded.

Her face flickered slightly as she gathered herself to speak more. "I would like to…thank you, Link," she said. "For your valour."

Link felt his heart tremble slightly in response. He didn't want to feel anything when praised. Both criticism and praise were for children, not something he should be affected by.

 _No apology, I notice,_ he thought. _Probably too much to ask in front of her subjects._

"My weapons," said Link. "Could I have them?"

Rutela had insisted that he hand them over after the battle. He'd complied – he was all out of crossbow bolts anyway. It seemed that, despite her words, the queen didn't entirely trust him.

Rutela gave a small nod and then stepped aside. Ryl – the Zora guard that Link had called Tall – came forward. He carried a tanned leather sleeve in his arms. One end was open, the other capped. A slight frown crossed Link's brow.

"We don't have any crossbow bolts," said Ryl in apologetic tone. "But we decided to make this for you. The next best thing."

"Place it over your left wrist," the queen added.

Link did so. It was a snug fit and hid his broken hand well. A little too well, as the black-capped end was bigger than three fists. But what was the point of it…?

"It's enchanted," explained Rutela. "And responds only to you. My sorcerers are not as powerful as Princess Zelda but they still do admirable work. Use your mind to command it to open."

Link projected the thought. The capped end opened, revealing the spiked tip of his hookshot.

"You can order it to fire, retract or close," said Ryl. "We had to shorten the chain so that it would fit. Not too much, though."

 _Close_ , thought Link. The spike slipped back in and the cap sealed up.

"No unpleasant accidents that way, if you know what I mean," Ryl added. He smiled. "What do you think? You'll not be needing a crossbow now."

"It's…" A crooked smile touched Link's lips. "I wasn't expecting this." He looked up. "Thank you."

They'd done all this in a day - both his new clothes and this modified hookshot. The Zora were nothing if not efficient.

Ryl held out his hand. Link hesitated again – still no apology from any of the Zora. With a quick sigh he clasped the guard's hand quickly and then let go.

Queen Rutela bowed her head slightly. "Go now," she said. "Bring back Zelda. And end this madness."

As Link turned to leave, the Zora woman shot out a hand to hold him back. He looked up into her dark eyes.

"This Smiling Man," she said. "I want him ended for what he did to my son."

She released him. Link said nothing. He hadn't told her about the truth of Ralis's character, about what he'd been doing at the moment of his death. Link had only mentioned that he'd been killed in battle - true enough - and that the Smiling Man had possessed him.

The queen had accepted his words.

Link began his trek up the path.

* * *

The air grew colder the higher Link went. A biting wind howled, tearing at his face. Link used his free hand to unhook the Silver Mask from his belt and slip it on.

' _There you are.'_

Link stopped short. ' _Fi?'_ He couldn't believe it. _'Is that you?'_

' _Clearly. Who else could it be? Or do you speak to a lot of women in your head?'_

Link felt a smile grown under his mask. ' _What happened to you? Where have you been?'_

' _The Smiling Man…he smothered me. It was cold and dark and unpleasant.'_ She paused, then said, ' _I think he's forgotten about me now. I hope he has.'_

 _'I'm sorry,'_ said Link. _'About what happened.'_

There was a short pause before Fi spoke again. _'I see that you have lost a hand in my absence. That was careless of you.'_

Speaking of his hand…

' _Fi,'_ said Link. ' _Can you analyse this thing on my arm? It's got my hookshot. I just want to know there aren't any other surprises.'_

He may be grateful for the gift, but that didn't mean that Link was willing to trust the Zora completely. Especially not after what they'd done to him. He waited for Fi's response. The wind continued to moan.

' _It is what you said it is,'_ said Fi. _'A cap for your hand that contains your hookshot. Nothing more, nor less.'_

Link felt some of his tension sag hearing that.

' _Terrible colour, though,'_ Fi added.

A brush with the void seemed to have left his friend equipped with a fresh, new biting attitude.

' _Where are we, anyway?'_ she went on. ' _This looks like a very precarious path. Were you planning to fling yourself off the mountainside in your grief of losing me? Well, do not fear. I am here now.'_

Clearly this new Fi would take a lot of adjusting to. She said everything in such deadly seriousness, even the most bizarre of comments.

' _I heard that,'_ she said.

Link smiled again. ' _We're back in our Hyrule, Fi,'_ he explained. ' _The Smiling Man has Zelda in that citadel up there.'_ He gestured with his hookshot arm.

' _Then why are you wasting time talking to a voice in your head?'_ she chided. ' _Let's press on.'_

 _'I agree.'_

But Fi wasn't done yet. _'You'd lose your head if I wasn't around. You've already started with your hand.'_

Despite the chill air, Link felt a surge of warmth within. He was glad Fi was back. Now he didn't have to do this on his own.

' _I'm touched,'_ said Fi.

' _Stop listening in.'_

' _Stop thinking so loud.'_

' _I do not think…loudly._

' _You do. It gives me a headache.'_

Link sighed. Maybe he would've been better off on his own.

' _I heard that, too.'_

With a shake of his head, Link moved off up the path. A glance over the edge of the path told him he was already at a dizzying height. But that wasn't what struck him the most. The world below was scarred with deep cracks that spilled out a molten orange glow. A sprinkle of flickering lights marked burning fires. Faint smoke drifted over the land. Hyrule was on the verge of tearing itself apart.

The path began to narrow. Dead vines, dry and crackling under his boots, lay littered across the ground. Link passed a boulder on his left. He gave it an idle glance -

And it sprang suddenly into life, growling, a mouth littered with a needle-sharp teeth opening wide.

Link jumped back. His head spun – he was too close to the edge. Link felt the empty void behind him. He dug in his heels, looked up -

And the boulder was just a boulder again.

Link stared, his heart thudding. A glance behind him saw how close he'd been to falling. Mere inches. Link scrambled away, setting loose scree tumbling down the mountainside.

' _What was that?'_ he said. ' _Did you see that?'_

' _See what?'_ asked Fi.

' _That boulder, It –'_

Link stopped himself. What exactly could he say…?

' _It what?'_ said Fi.

' _Never mind.'_

The Smiling Man was playing his games. Link just had to refuse to roll the dice.

As he made his way up, the terrain became stranger. Huge, gnarled roots poked out of fissures in the ground, but there was no way trees could have grown up. When he stepped on one, it shuddered as though it could feel his touch. Link swore he could even hear a faint groan. When he stepped away he saw that he'd left a dark footprint of blood.

' _Are you really not seeing all this, Fi?'_ he asked.

' _I see you staring at the dirt,'_ she replied. ' _Is that what I'm meant to be seeing? Because I'm not impressed.'_

Link decided not to ask anymore. He turned a corner and a long shadow fell upon him. Link stopped, and looked up. The citadel loomed above now, dark and foreboding. He saw that the path carried on up to a large, crimson door studded with metal bumps. His eyes scanned the fortress again. Glassless windows had been cut into the stone face of the building, with nothing but shadows visible within.

 _He'll be expecting me to come in through the door…_

Link raised his hookshot arm.

 _Open._

The spike sprang out.

 _Fire._

The spike exploded straight up, tip spinning, and bit into the wall above one window.

 _Retract._

The chain began to wind in, taking Link up with it. He had to grip onto his left arm hard with his only hand to steady himself against the pressure. Still, without his Goron gloves, he felt the strain all the way into his shoulder socket.

Once Link reached the top, he swung in through the window, pulling his hookshot free as he did so.

 _Close._

The spike slid back into the leather sleeve like a snail retreating into its shell. As he massaged his arm to get the blood flowing again, Link looked at his new device, impressed.

' _Not bad,'_ said Fi.

' _Outstanding, even,'_ Link replied.

Cold seeped up from the floor and through his boots. The room was dark. Pitch-black dark.

' _Fi…?'_

' _Already started,'_ she said. ' _There are two people on the very top floor of this building. One of them is Princess Zelda.'_

' _Thanks,'_ said Link in his mind. ' _I was actually referring to the lack of light.'_

' _Oh.'_

Twin beams poured out of the Silver Mask's eyeholes.

And then a flock of Keese, disturbed by the light, flew straight into him. Screeching, they fluttered around him, leathery wings scratching his mask. He even caught a glimpse of yellowing fangs.

It was over almost as soon as it had begun. The bat-like Keese fled through the window.

Link doubled over as he tried to catch his breath. When he rose again, he looked around him.

The room was empty. Dust and grime smeared the floor. Cobwebs hung from the walls. There was a single door. Link moved toward it and tested the knob. It opened with a soft click. Light seeped in through the narrow crack.

Link slipped into the passageway beyond. Something sighed. The light vanished, plunging him into darkness. A chill breeze followed. An eerie silence reigned supreme.

Link glanced over his shoulder. ' _What's going on, Fi?'_ he projected. ' _Are you sure there's no one else here?'_

' _None that I can…detect.'_

Link's skin prickled as something brushed past him. He froze. A disembodied cackle whispered in the air next to his ear. He jerked his head that way. Darkness greeted his eyes.

Link waited, his muscles coiled, not daring to move. His heart thudded.

He heard something creak. A door slammed. Another laugh followed.

Link was reminded of something Queen Rutela had said. _Haunted..._

' _Fi,'_ he said. ' _What's a Poe?'_

' _A spirit creature,'_ she replied. ' _They can pass through walls and are almost invisible to the – oh.'_

Link felt an icy touch at his shoulder. He spun around.

Nothing was there.

 _I'm up against a ghost. Just grand._

' _Not quite,'_ said Fi. ' _Your hookshot can still affect it.'_

Link stared into the darkness. His eyes caught something subtle. A flicker of darkness in amongst the rest of the gloom. Link pulled off the Silver Mask and re-latched it to his belt. He stood his ground, peering.

A swirl of light spun out from the dark. It solidified into the form of a floating lantern. Link tensed, his mouth going dry. The walls trembled. Somewhere, a plate shattered.

And then there it was, bursting out of the black. A glowing, roaring thing with spindly arms sped toward him, slicing through the air, a tattered cloak trailing behind it, narrowed eyes full of hate.

Link tried to raise his hookshot arm – but couldn't. It felt as though it was encased in a heavy block of ice.

The Poe screamed in triumph. Link's eyes widened. He couldn't even open his mouth. His jaw spasmed in pain.

The Poe collided straight into Link.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

The air was pregnant with a heavy sense of foreboding. Princess Zelda felt it as a prickle running up her skin and then down to the base of her spine as she knelt on the cold, marble floor. Gold paint, already peeling into tiny flecks, formed a hexagonal pattern in the centre of the large hall. Above, the ceiling curved upward to form the roof of the fortress. Keese hung from their clawed feet up there, eyes closed, their wings wrapped around themselves like a shield.

There were no windows. Torchlight sputtered from small alcoves around the room, casting soft, diffuse light all around.

Zelda had her eyes fixed on Behemoth. There was another figure in the room. A man, sleeping, suspended in mid-air above the gold pattern, his hands folded over his chest.

She knew who it was. The Smiling Man. The _real_ Smiling Man. He'd been hiding here all this time, weaving his magic, like a puppeteer behind a curtain.

And the Behemoth was one of those puppets right now. The possessed gamer now wore a pensive face - if you could call it that with his ever-present smile - his brow furrowed in deep thought.

"You don't have to do this," Zelda said in a gentle voice. She searched for the right words. This seemed the right time to engage him, but she didn't want that to become a provocation. "Aren't you tired of this? You win. I lost. You have your revenge."

The possessed Behemoth looked up slowly. "You sound just like her..." he murmured.

He seemed so vulnerable. This was the opening she needed. "Help me close the breach," she said, "and I swear I will try to help you be free of…of what I did."

Sadness swam in his eyes. "Ha...you don't listen, do you, princess?"

Zelda bristled but held her tongue.

"You're supposed to ask who it is that you sound like." He paused, then said, "Her name was Marie. My wife. She believed…ha…she believed that I could be... _more_ than a mask salesman." His eyes dropped. "She believed I was good. That I could make a change in the world." He looked up again. "She was the only one who did."

Zelda swallowed. "Repay her faith, then."

Behemoth shook his head. "No," the Smiling Man said. "She was wrong. I don't deserve it. I've done too much."

Zelda felt her heart twist. _I know how that feels._

"I am sorry, Princess Zelda," the Smiling Man said. "It's too late. You can't help me. We've gone too far, the pair of us. Ha-ha! There's only two outcomes now. Either we all die when the breach opens - you being the last, my spell will see to that - or I die alone as your gallant hero comes to your aid. Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

 _Or we both die,_ she thought. _Just the two of us._

Zelda was never the type to indulge in the luxury of self-pity, but the truth was clear. She'd set all this in motion. She had cursed him all those years ago. And it was the breach within her own heart that would destroy the very people she'd vowed to protect.

She was the monster all along.

"Smiling Man -"

"Don't call me that!" he snapped. "Do. Not. Call. Me. That. Do you understand? Do you hear me? Or will you ignore me again like you did for years? I have a name. I had a wife. A family."

"I know your name," said Zelda.

The Smiling Man was taken aback by that. "How...?"

"You're still my subject, Jaresh Xo Lovren," said Zelda. "I learned who you were a long time ago. I needed a name to put to the face I cursed. You think I forgot, that I didn't care? I never faced you because..." She swallowed. "I was ashamed. I was young, and did not know how to deal with such a...delicate situation. In that time you grew in power and festered in your own hate. I...regret that."

Behemoth's chest rose and fell as he stared. "You...ha...know my name..." He suddenly glanced up, his eyes glazing over.

Zelda frowned. "What...?" she murmured.

"He's here," Behemoth replied. He held up a hand. " _Stop!"_

* * *

The Poe smashed into Link. He reeled backwards on his heels, his veins turning ice cold, his heart almost stopping. Colour fled. The world lost its solidity, like it had just been plunged into an immense ocean and was nothing more than a blurry, insubstantial mess. Link's eyes bulged -

When a disembodied voice shouted " _Stop!"_

Link looked up, blinking rapidly. The Poe had vanished. He could move again. Link gasped, sucking in a long, cold breath.

"Ha," the invisible voice intoned. "Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Link's head cleared within seconds. He drew himself up to his full height at the sound of that hateful laugh.

"Where are my manners?" said the Smiling Man. "I'm afraid my little pets are not very house-trained. I do apologise. Why not come up for a little chat…? Just you, me and the princess. Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

A jagged crack shot up one wall, dust and debris spitting from the fresh wound. The two halves of the wall then slid apart revealing a staircase covered by a rich, cherry-red carpet and hemmed in at both sides with handrails made of gold. A door stood at the top.

 _So much for catching him by surprise,_ thought Link.

He had no choice now. Zelda was up there. Link placed a foot on the first step.

A faint whisper reached his ears. "Link."

He swallowed. It was Ilia's voice. "Are you going up there to avenge me?" the phantom said. "You don't need to, Link. I just want us to be together again. Open the breach and we can. Just open it. Please. Make the right choice."

Link ascended, step by step. His eyes stung. _It's not real,_ he told himself. _It's just another of the Smiling Man's spells._ He was done with ghosts. He'd left all that behind when he'd faced his trial on the Bridge of Eldin.

"You're wrong." Now it was Captain Rusl who spoke. "The trials never end, son. Life is a trial. One long, huge, tiresome trial. Look at your hand. Did you deserve that? Do any of us deserve the pain we get? Open the breach, son. You know it makes sense. It's the only way, Link. The only way to peace."

He'd almost reached the top now. The lush carpet crunched softly under his boots, and the staircase gleamed under the lantern-light. For some reason, Link felt his legs tremble. It would be so very easy to just give in.

 _No._

"Yes." It was Ryl, the Zora guard, who spoke now. "You know the world now. You've tasted it. The superior – such as myself – will always prey on the inferior – like you. _Always._ Until the world ends, I suppose. You could end it. Not that you have the guts."

Link set his jaw in determination as he reached the landing. He sought to find the stillness within. "It takes guts to live," he said.

"And what does it take to be noble? To be good?"

Link froze. The new voice belonged to Zelda.

"Noble," the phantom voice said. "You think that of me, even after all I've done. But in truth, who is really noble? Do you know why people do good? To feel important, Link. To feel special. It's nothing deeper than that. No one truly deserves life, because no one is truly grateful for it. Open the breach and cleanse us all, I beg you. No one can rise above their own petty little selves. No one. After all, what would that even take...?"

"Courage," Link replied instantly.

 _Illy – I'm sorry. Captain – I'll strive to find peace even in my trials. Ryl – I forgive you._

"And Zelda -" Link said out loud as he pushed open the door."I'm coming for you."

Behemoth was waiting there in the huge, circular chamber beyond the door. Link spied a body floating behind the gamer, and recognised it as the Smiling Man himself - the actual Smiling Man.

"Ha," the possessed Behemoth said. "Ha-ha-ha-ha." The Smiling Man's real lips moved in time with the Behemoth's. "So. Tell me, Silver Mask. What path have you chosen?"

 _The straight one._

Link spotted Princess Zelda in one corner of the room. He made to move to her - but the possessed Behemoth held up his hand. Anger flushed over his grinning face.

"I see," he said as his eyes thinned to slits. "That's how it is, is it? You want her? _Her?_ My torturer? The whore, the bitch princess?"

Leather crackled as Link's single gloved hand slowly closed into a fist. He glared at his enemy.

"Ha! Struck a nerve, have I?" He raised his arms. "You want her, you go through me. I don't even need you."

Link braced himself.

The Smiling Man spoke again. "Today she watches you die," he said. "Ha-ha-ha! And the Breach of Black Glass opens." Behemoth cocked his head to the side. "Goodbye, Silver Mask"

Nothing happened.

Behemoth looked up at his hands, frowning. "My magic..." he breathed. Shocked realisation hung from his face. He flicked a glance Zelda's way. "The breach. It's weakened my magic!"

 _Open._

The spike of Link's hookshot snapped out of its leather sheath. Behemoth dropped his gaze to meet his, alarm quickly spreading over his face.

Link yelled. He sprinted, then waded in, knocking Behemoth back with swinging lefts and rights. The big man reeled, blood blossoming whenever and wherever the spike struck home. Link pressed his advantage, his shoulders and single fist aching as he struck and struck and struck, driving the possessed Behemoth back.

His knuckles were red and raw within minutes. Every muscle in his upper body felt stretched with fatigue. With another feral yell, Link swung his hookshot arm straight at Behemoth's head -

The big man ducked and dived straight into Link's stomach. The wind burst from his lungs. Behemoth pushed on, back and back and back, until Link hit a wall and came to a sudden stop. Pain exploded up his spine. Behemoth drew back his arm, hand curling into a fist as he did so, then swung in.

This time it was Link's turn to duck. Stone split as the punch hit. Debris spilled down over Link's head. He saw the princess in his line of sight.

"Zelda!" he cried. "I-"

Thick fingers slammed into his open mouth. Link's eyes watered as he gagged. Behemoth began to push him down. His back arched.

"You won't tell her anything," the possessed Behemoth hissed. "Never. Never. Never. She only deserves hatred, do you hear me? Ha-ha-ha! _Hatred!_ "

Link's heart felt like it was going to burst free from his chest. He tasted blood in his mouth as Behemoth's fingernails dug into the soft tissue within. Black spots winked in and out in his vision. His trembling left arm moved. He heard the thud of his pulse begin to slow. The world blurred, then faded.

"Die!" the possessed Behemoth growled. "Die! Die! _DIE!_ "

 _Fire!_

The hookshot activated, cutting straight through Behemoth's arm. The possessed gamer staggered backward, howling in pain, screaming curses. Blood sprayed across the marble floor. Link gasped as the now limp hand fell from his mouth. He kicked the severed limb away.

Behemoth cradled his injured arm. Link walked towards him. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, then grinned.

"Now," he croaked. "We're even."

That sparked something within his enemy. With a roar, the big man flung himself forward, crashing into Link again. This time it was his turn to crack punch after punch after punch into Link's face. Skin split. Blood flowed. Link's head jerked back with each successive strike until he dropped to his knees, his body sagging.

Link's thoughts echoed dully in his aching head.

 _Cocky. I got too cocky again._

Behemoth grabbed him by the neck. Link's eyes bulged, his face turning red. The back of his throat burned as he tried to gasp for breath.

Behemoth hoisted him up one-handed, and then tossed him into the air, ready to strike as he came back down -

But in that split-second, perhaps more from instinct than anything else, Link acted. He drew back his hookshot arm and struck a glancing mid-air blow that sliced the side of Behemoth's face.

Link dropped to his knees. He gasped as the shock of the hard floor ran straight up his legs. Behemoth spun away, yelling, blood spilling from all his wounds.

Link only had time to take a few ragged breaths. He wanted to rest. His body begged him to. But Behemoth was already beginning to stir. Link had no choice but to rejoin the battle.

* * *

She hated this. Being on the sidelines. Feeling _helpless._

 _I need my magic._

Princess Zelda felt her every nerve and muscle go taut as she strove to will her magic back. She strained, feeling her face flush - then let out a long, wheezing breath.

Nothing.

Her eyes caught sight of Link and Behemoth as they staggered to their feet. They tore into each other, blood spraying from each and every punch. Zelda tensed. Hot tears stung her eyes.

The ineffectual princess. It was like those stories from her childhood, the ones she grew up to despise. Stories about the fragile damsel who was always in need of a rescue.

Zelda watched the battle unfold. A spiked chain shot out from some device on Link's left arm. It began to wrap itself around what was left of one of Behemoth's arms - but the bigger man caught it with his other hand and swung the chain to the left, sending Link crashing into a wall.

Zelda felt her breath catch. Link had been left dazed by that attack. Now Behemoth pulled himself along the entire length of the chain with one hand, moving so swiftly that he was upon Link within seconds. The spike had already begun to retract - but too late.

The possessed Behemoth slammed his fist twice in quick succession into Link's face. Zelda winced as each blow struck. Blood poured from Link's nose.

Zelda's hands curled into fists and frustration hissed from her lips.

 _I need my magic! Please!_

Zelda's breath caught. Tiny spheres of green light popped into life at the tip of her fingers. Hope surged in her heart.

And crumbled into despair a moment later. The magical light turned black. Zelda stared down at herself in horror. Her heart pounded so hard that she saw her chest move in and out in time. Pain suddenly burned through her entire body as though someone had poured acid into her veins. A reflexive scream died in her throat.

She clutched at the front of her tunic. It was too much. She just wanted to claw her heart straight out.

"No…" she gasped. Her pain-fogged mind latched onto a thought. _Not my heart…The Breach of Black Glass…_

Curling fingers of star-studded night poured out from her chest, wrapping themselves around her, caressing like a lover's touch. The darkness began to crack, splintering exactly like broken glass would. Zelda screamed again. The entire fortress shook.

And then something slipped out of her pocket, clattering to the ground. Her wide eyes dropped.

 _The Dragmire._

It had split on one side. Wispy scarlet light floated out of the crack. _How?_ It was only meant to ignite when struck by the power of the breach.

 _But I am the breach..._

She stooped down to scoop the magical stone into her palm, then stood up. The Black Glass seemed to roil backward from the Dragmire's presence. Zelda cradled it in both hands. Her face was bathed in its sickly light.

"Forgive me," she whispered. "For everything."

Princess Zelda knew then exactly what she had to do.

* * *

Link was exhausted. Still he threw himself at Behemoth, landing blow after blow after blow, the big man's head snapping back with each strike, his face now bloated and purple. Behemoth didn't fall, though. He rocked on his heels, but he didn't fall.

Link snarled as he continued to hit until his fist went numb and began to tremble. Blood and sweat soaked into his clothes. More and more he tried - and still the possessed Behemoth wouldn't go down.

Everything hurt. _Everything._

Link's throat burned with every laboured breath. He was landing in his punches, but they were slower now, weaker. Behemoth was tiring, too - the big man was losing blood from his severed arm. That fact that he hadn't lost consciousness yet was simply amazing.

 _It's the Red Potion,_ thought Link as he backed off to catch his breath. _It's the only thing keeping him on his feet._

They circled slowly around, each man not daring to take their eyes of the other. Link felt a tremor in his legs. His spine felt like a hot needle up his back.

 _I have to finish this. And quick._

Every one of Behemoth's breaths were now nothing more than grunts. His chest heaved.

Link's own breath whistled out through his lips. Fatigue seeped into every inch of his throbbing body. He wasn't going to last.

 _End it._

He feinted to the right with his fist. Behemoth flinched. And Link launched himself with the last scraps of his strength, swinging his hookshot arm in –

A massive palm flew up and caught the attack with a dull smack. Behemoth grinned. "Ha," he said. "Ha-ha-ha-ha." He squeezed.

Link grit his teeth. He saw his leather sleeve begin to crumple. Vice-like pain needled straight into the bone. His legs began to waver again.

"Fall…" the Smiling Man whispered. "Fall."

Link strained, sweat flying from his face, blood dripping from the cut in his forehead, as the grinning Behemoth pushed against his arm. He knew what the big man was trying to do. The trembling spike of the hookshot slowly turned to aim at Link's face.

With teeth clenched, Link pushed back. His arm shook. A gurgled cry died in his throat. His bicep tore. It was hot agony.

But he was doing it.

Inch by aching inch. Link moved the trapped hookshot back toward his foe. The pain was intense, his arm like a block of lead. The spike drew closer and closer to the Smiling Man's chest.

A flicker of movement caught Link's eye. What he saw almost made him falter.

Princess Zelda was standing, eyes downcast, a scarlet shroud almost obscuring her face as she held the Dragmire aloft. It pulsed stronger and stronger with every moment.

"No…" breathed Link.

Zelda raised her eyes. The Dragmire's light was raining down around her. Link's heart fell like a plummeting stone.

Behemoth turned to look as well. "Ha," he said. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! Yesss! Destroy yourself by your own hand! Ha-haaaa!"

Zelda's eyes met Link's. Determination flooded her face.

"Link!" she cried. "Catch!"

Time slowed. The Dragmire hurtled over-and-over through the air. Behemoth's grip on Link's arm slackened as he bared his teeth in rage –

Link moved, cracking his head straight into his enemy's jaw. The stone landed in his free hand.

 _Fire._

The hookshot activated, tearing through the possessed Behemoth's chest. Link wasted no time. He knew what needed to be done.

Link thrust the Dragmire into Behemoth's open wound.

At that exact same moment, emerald fire bloomed out around Princess Zelda. She began to levitate, cocooned with a shimmering, magical light. The colour of the night bled into her eyes.

" _Jaresh Xo Lovren,_ " she said, her voice imperious as it echoed around the room. " _I am Princess Zelda."_ She held up her palm. " _And I banish you from my world. For eternity._ "

Her palm snapped shut.

A shockwave of scarlet light exploded out of the Dragmire lodged deep within Behemoth's chest. The Smiling Man screamed.

Link was knocked clear off his feet and crashed sliding into the ground. The hookshot spike tore free in the process. Zelda, too, collapsed to the floor, her sudden eruption of magic extinguished just as quickly as it had come.

The possessed Behemoth's scream was lost as an otherworldly howl overtook him. His face twisted as he tried to fight the Dragmire. Fiery light spilled out from his eyes and mouth. Link had to shade his eyes with his hand as he watched in horror.

The Behemoth plunged his own hand into his chest in an attempt to draw the stone free.

To no avail. The moment his hand touched the Dragmire, his entire arm collapsed into ash. Slowly the rest of him followed suit. Bit by bit, every single part of the Behemoth dissolved. His head toppled down and rolled onto the ground, still spilling the Dragmire's unholy light.

The scream died instantly as the head vanished into ash.

There was silence for a heartbeat, save for a deep groan from deep within the bowels of the citadel. And then the Smiling Man's actual body - still floating asleep in mid-air - arched violently. Blood spilled out from under his closed eyelids. His mouth opened and he picked up the Behemoth's scream.

The walls of the fortress began to shake. Loud cracks split the stone. Magical energy the colour of blood began to fill the room, seeping into the fresh fissures.

Link pulled his gaze away.

 _Zelda._

Link spotted her. She was kneeling again, her hair swept in front of her dirt-struck face, her eyes almost feverishly wide. She'd never looked more beautiful.

Link burst into a run, his boots slipping on the blood-slickened marble floor. His back prickled –

And he rolled, dodging a slab of broken masonry unloosed from the ceiling above. It shattered as it hit the ground. He ran again.

"Leave me," Zelda said as Link reached her. "This is all my doing. My magic only returned to set things right. Now it's gone for good." Her voice trembled. "Let me die with the Smiling Man."

"No, Zelda," Link replied. A hot wind whipped at their hair. The energy from the Dragmire continued to build, spewing more and more ruby-coloured light into the room. "You're not dying here today."

Link took her hand and gently tugged her to her feet. His eyes found hers. "I love you."

Zelda blinked, eyelids fluttering. "You…" She shook her head. "No. No, no, no. Go. You don't know what you're saying. It's just a passing fancy that I should never have let you indulge in." She took a breath. "Run, Link. _Run!_ "

Another chunk of the ceiling crashed behind them. Stone shattered. One wall collapsed out into the open air. They were oblivious to it all.

Link had never felt more certain about anything in his entire life. "No."

The princess shook her head again, adamant. "All that you've lost. It's because of me. My pig-headedness. You can't love me. Not truly."

"I can. I do."

He enwrapped his arms around her in a tender embrace. He felt the thud of her heart against his, felt the clutch of her fingers as they clung to his shoulders.

 _She feels it, too. Really feels it. I know she does._

The scarlet light began to entwine them both. A loud rumble followed. The ceiling caved in, catching the Smiling Man and sending him ploughing through the floor. His last cry faded the further he fell.

Still the red light grew. The roof tore straight off. The stars above bulged with unnatural light.

" _I love you,_ " Link insisted.

"I don't deserve it!" she shot back in a petulant voice.

"Stop that," he said softly. "You don't believe that. I don't believe that."

"How do you know…?" Her voice faltered. "What if your love dies one day…?"

"I just do," Link repeated, his forehead resting against hers. "I know. I love you."

The stars fell. Fire burned in the heavens above Hyrule. A million screams rolled through the air. The sky tore open, revealing sights that, had they looked up, would have astounded them. Hundreds of Links, hundreds of Zeldas.

One Link batted back a magical ball of energy toward a cackling Ganondorf as a Zelda hung from a crystalline prison nearby. Another Link threw back his head in pain, his skin rippling as every inch of him morphed and changed until a wolf of dark-grey fur stood in his place instead. Over and over the Cycle repeated.

Princess Zelda gazed into Link's eyes. Her lower lip trembled. "I…"

The crimson light swallowed them both.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

"- love you."

Princess Zelda's eyes flew open and she took in a long, gasping breath. Warm sunlight kissed her face. She looked up, blinking, at the bright blue sky overhead. Grass prickled her back, and the sharp scent of flowers newly in bloom made her nose twitch.

"Good morning."

Zelda sat up, and turned at the sound of the voice. "Link..?"

He was smiling, his wounds – bar his missing hand – fully healed, his clothes spotless. Even the slave mark had been erased from his neck.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We did it," he replied softly. He walked up to her and held out a hand. "We closed the breach."

Zelda looked up at him, stunned. "The Smiling Man…?"

"Gone," said Link. "Dead."

 _It's over. Truly over._

Her eyes took him again. He looked every bit the hero from the fairy tales of her childhood. Sunlight framed his profile, and she noticed his broad chest, and – as though seeing for the first time – his sharp features.

A grin split over her face. She clutched his hand. He pulled her swiftly to her feet, laughing, and then they fell into an embrace that soon dissolved into a long kiss. Zelda hadn't really known what this would feel like, not truly. It was like the world had stopped, and she felt utterly free.

As her eyes opened again, Zelda spotted a slim, young woman standing nearby. A purple cloak covered pale lavender skin. She wore and expression of complete detachment.

"Greetings, Princess Zelda," the girl said. "My name is Fi."

Zelda looked at Link. "Your mask…?"

"Yes," Fi replied for him. "It seems that the end of the breach has freed me from my prison. More importantly, I've escaped from the shackles of listening to the perpetual drone of Link's incessant thoughts."

"Yes, so," Link said sourly. "Meet Fi, princess. Fi, meet Princess Zelda."

"I just did," Fi replied. "Were you not listening?"

Link gently pulled Zelda away. "Look," he breathed. "Look at Hyrule."

She did. Fields of rolling grass stretched out in every direction. In the distance, under hazy sunlight, she spied the towers of the Bridge of Eldin, standing tall and unblemished as though newly built.

"It's all…healed," she said.

Link nodded.

"How long...?" she asked.

"Three days," he replied. "Three days since the citadel. Everything just went red. And when I woke, I found you unconscious, I found Fi standing just standing there, and I found Hyrule like this."

"Three days…" Zelda repeated. "You've been carrying me all that time…?"

"Yes," said Link.

"No," said Fi.

Link glared daggers at the spirit woman. He cleared his throat, then said, "Queen Rutela's men found us. They helped carry you a little of the way, but I did the rest" He shot Fi another glare. She just stared back levelly, her face blank.

Zelda shook her head in amazement. "Why, Link?" she said. "Why didn't you just wait for me to wake up?"

Link shrugged. "I don't know," he replied. "I didn't really think about it."

And that made her feelings certain. _Isn't that the truest test of character, free of all pretension and show? To do good without even thinking about it?_

Link lapsed into silence again. Empty and quiet, Zelda thought.

 _Empty as in he's not full of himself._

Zelda found that she was fine with that.

"Here," said Link as he took out a scroll from a pocket, "this is for you."

Zelda took it. The wax seal was stamped with the mark of the Zora Royal Family. Breaking it, she unfurled the parchment and her eyes scanned the words. She could smell the ink - it was the expensive type.

' _It is done,'_ Rutela had written. ' _I free you now of all your vows to Ralis. He was a difficult son, if I'm truly honest. I imagine he must have been an equally difficult husband. I do hope, though, that the fledgling friendship between our two races still stands.'_

Zelda sighed. She looked at Link, and smiled. Her heart bubbled with emotion.

"What's that for?" he said. "That smile?"

"For you," she replied. "For us."

She frowned as something unreadable flickered over his face. It was gone in an instant.

 _Later. I can chase him on that later._

Her thoughts turned instead to the mask salesman, Jaresh Xo Lovren. The Smiling Man. She'd had no choice but to end him. He'd become too strong, his mind decayed by a frenzy of revenge. And yet, her heart still held a sliver of pity for him. A moment of madness in her childhood and altered both their lives.

 _Forgive me,_ she'd said moments before throwing the Dragmire to Link. _For everything._

And she'd directed those words at Jaresh Xo Lovren. It would be a regret that would follow her down into her grave.

Princess Zelda realised then how much she'd changed. The old her would've destroyed Lovren and never thought about it again.

She was pulled from her thoughts as Link once again held out his hand.

"Let's go home, princess."

* * *

They'd been travelling from days, basking in the warmth of the spring, and in the warmth of each other's company.

Finally, the towers of Hyrule Castle appeared in the distance. Pennants fluttered in the breeze. Link felt his heart squeeze. Once they got there, everything would change. A wave of sadness washed over his soul. He glanced at Zelda. Maybe he could find a place in the Royal Guards, protecting her from a distance, living out a long, if quiet life.

Maybe.

 _First I have to find Illy's Da. And tell him what happened to her._

He wasn't looking forward to that.

"I never got my magic back." Zelda said.

"I never got my hand back," Link replied, a smile in his voice. "It's only fair, I suppose."

A faint smile touched her lips. Link's heart ached.

His hand may have gone forever, but his back had healed. It felt a lot stronger. He had hoped that he'd get one last message from whatever had contacted him from beyond time and space, but there had been nothing but silence.

 _Job done, I suppose._

Or was it…?

"Do you think it's over now, princess?" he asked. "The Cycle, I mean."

Zelda shrugged. "I don't know, Link. People in the past thought they'd ended it, and it always returned. Maybe they ended a part of the Cycle, and we've just ended another part."

Link remembered something from their travels through time. That man Ganondorf had also recurred over and over. He'd not shown up here, though.

 _Perhaps his part in the Cycle has already ended._

"I do know one thing, though," Zelda said.

"What's that?"

She turned toward him. "We always win."

They reached a grassy rise and Hyrule Castle, majestic and grand, stood revealed in all its glory.

"The castle," said Link. "It looks like the one we saw in the past. It's been..."

"Renewed," Zelda finished. "Everything has." She gestured. "Look."

Link saw it - Captain Rusl standing alone on the lowered drawbridge. The old officer must have spotted them from up high on the castle walls and had come out to greet them.

A shaky breath left Link's lips.

"This is goodbye, then," he said.

Zelda frowned. "Goodbye?"

Link took another breath. "Zelda," he said. "You're the princess. And I'm –"

His words stopped as the princess gently pressed a finger to his lips. "So that's your plan, is it?" she said, the corner of her mouth curved. "Vanish, never to be seen again? I think not, Sir Link."

Link blinked in surprise. "Sir…?"

"Princess Zelda's personal guard." She leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper. "And I truly mean _personal."_

Link felt hope war with his inner common sense. "Princess…" he said as he ran his hand through his hair. "They won't accept that in the castle. They won't accept me."

"They will if I say so." Her sapphire eyes sparkled.

 _She's so beautiful. Is this really happening...?_

Zelda kissed him on the cheek, then took his hand. "Come now," she said. "It's time for the real challenge – carrying on and living."

"Are you certain about all this?"

"I am," said Zelda. "If it's you and me. Together."

Link's smile became a grin, then a laugh. He let her tug his hand as they moved off toward the castle.

Fi glided silently behind. "I predict a 99.99% probability," she said quietly. "That they are now, and furthermore always will be, simply quite happy."

She smiled.

 **A/N: And that, my friends, is a wrap. Thank you for reading, and many thanks to everyone who was kind enough to leave a review.**

 **All the best,**

 **Split Infinitive**


End file.
